162 BULLETIN 148, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



273. Tibetan rosary. — Consisting of 108 disks cut from human 

 skull, divided into four sections of 27 each by three larger disks of 

 conch shell, with two retaining beads of amber and wood, respec- 

 tively, but without counters. Such rosaries are especially used in 

 the worship of Dorje jig-ch'e (Sanskrit, Yama), the king of the 

 dead. Tibet. (Cat. No. 130387, U.S.N.M.) 



274-275. Tibetan rosaries. — Made of small disks of rosewood, with 

 red coral beads as dividers. It has no counters, and the dividing 

 beads, as also the three retaining ones, have to be counted to com- 

 plete the number of 108. Beads of reddish color, usually of red 

 sandalwood, are used in the worship of the fierce Tamdrin (Haya- 

 griva, see above No. 195), the demon patron of lamaism. Tachien- 

 lu, China. (Cat. No. 167267, U.S.N.M.) 



276. Tibetan rosary. — ^Consisting of 108 disks of yellow wood, 

 with the dividing beads of the same material only slightly larger and 

 thicker. It has only two retaining beads and no counters. Batang, 

 Chma. (Cat. No. 131058, U.S.N.M.) 



277-278. Tibetan rosaries. — Consisting of 108 spherical beads of 

 yellow wood, without counters and with only one retaining bead, 

 said to have been brought from Lhasa, the holy capital city of Tibet. 

 Ladak. (Cat. Nos. 178119-178120, U.S.N.M.) Gift of W. L. 

 Abbott. 



279. Tibetan rosary {Go Mulla). — Composed of disks from the skull 

 of a lama. Rosaries made of the bones of a lama are prized above all 

 others by the Tibetans. Darjeeling, India. (Cat. No. 334018, 

 U.S.N.M.) Gift of Robert J. Umbstaetter. 



280. Japanese rosary (jiu-dzu). — Consisting of 112 globular beads 

 made of cherry wood. In the Japanese jiu-dzu the Buddhist rosary 

 attained its highest development. The rosary of 112 beads (shozoJci 

 jiu-dzu), which is used by all sects in common, is divided by 2 large 

 beads, called parent beads {oya-dama) into two equal parts. They 

 are distinguished into the upper parent bead {ten-no oya-dama), also 

 called father, sun, Buddha, and lower parent bead {chi-no oya-dama), 

 mother, moon, Bo, divine spirit, which inspired and perfected the en- 

 lightenment of Buddha. The ends of the string before being knotted 

 are drawn through the 2 parent beads which have for this purpose a 

 third opening. From the upper parent bead extend 2 pendant strings 

 on which are strung 21 beads, smaller than those on the main string, in 

 the following manner: Immediately above the large parent bead, on 

 the left-side pendant string, is a solitary bead. Beyond this the 

 strings are knotted. Then come 5 beads on each string, when they are 

 again knotted. Still again there are another 5 beads on each pendant, 

 which then terminates in an elongated bead, called dewdrop {tsuyu- 

 dama). The use of the solitary bead is that in holding the rosary, 

 with the upper parent bead uppermost, it should be in the left hand; 



