166 BULLETIN 148, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



respect they recall the terraced Temple Towers in Babylonia. Dimen- 

 sions: 3 by 3 by 3 feet. Bangkok, Siam. (Cat. No. 158420, U.S. 

 N.M.) Gift of the Marquis Visuddha, minister of Siam to England. 



291. Chinese pagoda. — Model of wood. Consisting of nine stories, 

 surmounted by a spire, called in Japanese Tciu-do (nine rings), resem- 

 bling a corkscrew such as may be used to uncork a columbiade. The 

 form of the Chinese pagoda is probably derived from the spire ringed 

 with umbrellas, described in the preceding No. 290, of the Hindu stupa. 

 The umbrella-shaped roof is the main element in the Chinese pagoda, 

 the walls being mere screens, set between pillars. Each platform, as 

 it towers upward in decreasing size, is supposed to denote a world. 

 To the roofs of the various stories are attached small bells and tin- 

 kling copper leaves, which are swung and rung by the wind, to denote 

 the eternal music of the spheres, and the carved balustrades and pro- 

 jecting eaves are emblems of the habitations of the happy beings 

 dwelling in the supernal regions. Of the several stories only the 

 first is used as a shrine for relics and images, while the others are 

 hollow, with staircases leading up to the top. 



The roofs are black lacquered, the railings and halls are red lac- 

 quered, the spire is gilt lacquered. Height, 5 feet by 23 inches 

 square. China. (Cat. No. 313624, U.S.N.M.) 



292. Pagoda. — Model of wood, lacquered and gilt. Consisting of 

 three stories, surmounted by the nine-ringed spire (Jciu-do), ter- 

 minating in the jewel or sacred pearl, one of the three treasures or 

 emblems of royalty in Japan. Height, 30 by 15 inches square. Japan. 

 (Plate 57, Cat. No. 154965, U.S.N.M.) 



293-294. The Temple Hongwanji and hair rope. — The great Hong- 

 wanji temple of the "True Sect" {Shin shu), at Kioto, Japan, was 

 completed in 1895. Its dimensions are those of a western cathedral. 

 Ninety-six massive pillars support the roof at a height of 126 feet. 

 The timbers were all dragged from the mountain and lifted into their 

 places by 29 immense ropes made of human hair, the voluntary 

 offerings of innumerable women, which are still preserved within the 

 precincts. Tokio, Japan. (Plate 58: Upper left), plan of the temple 

 Hongwanji; (lower), section of a hair rope, measuring 32 inches in 

 length and 4)^ inches in diameter, used in the erection of the temple; 

 (upper right), photograph of the ropes made of human hair. Cat. 

 Nos. 150829-150831, U.S.N.M.) Gift of V. Marshall Law. 



295. Naga Shrine. — Wood, carved, red painted, gilt and inlaid 

 with green glass pieces. Consists of a cylindrical box with a tri- 

 angular opening on one side for holding an image (which is wanting), 

 formed of the coils of a large serpent (naga), round which are coiled 

 four smaller serpents. It rests on a lotus and ornamented base 

 Height, 4 feet 6 inches. Burma. (Cat. No. 317008, U.S.N.M.) 

 Gift of William Lilly. 



