ETHNOLOGY. 413 



in this respect the above-named treatise of P. Amyot, the plates of 

 ■which represent many very ancient musical stones, sculptured in per- 

 fection, and bearing rings cut out of the same chief mass. 



The Chinese comedy, entitled " The Accomplished Soubrette,'' informs 

 us that the sonorous stones servelikewise as a hydraulic clock. " Observe 

 that the drop of water falls on the clepsydra of sonorous jade," as Fan- 

 son says to Pemin-tchong. 



In the first chapter of Choui-houtchouen, or History of the Banks of 

 the River, a comic romance exceedingly relished in China, a description 

 is given of a feast given by Siao-wang, governor of the imperial palace, 

 to the Prince Touan. That description is, in many respects, very curi- 

 ous, and shows to what extent objects of art sculptured in jade were 

 sought for in the twelfth century of our era. At the second course 

 it is related " that the Prince Touan, rising from the table by chance, 

 passed into the.library, where he saw, on the bureau of the governor, a 

 paper-weight, representing two small jade lions, most admirably sculp- 

 tured. As works of art, in fact, these works were perfect both in the 

 polish and design. The Prince Touan, who had taken up these two small 

 lions to examine them with care, and could not relinquish them, hold- 

 ing them in his hands, he fell into an ecstasy whilst contemplating them, 

 and exclaimed without ceasing, " It is a master-piece ; most wonderful." 

 "I have, besides, a crayon-holder," says the governor, having noticed 

 that the priuce took such pleasure in looking at his paper-weights, " it 

 is in jade, and represents a dragon, and the same artist sculptured it." 

 If we are to credit Father Mailla, all these details are of high historic 

 fidelity. Tohao-ki, Prince of Touan, who became emperor under the 

 title of Hoei-tsong, is represented as a prince naturally curious and a. 

 lover of rare works well executed. A trifle of this kind held his atten- 

 tion for whole days. The courtiers, who had observed this weakness in 

 their monarch, searched through the country for the most interesting 

 paintings, the most curious cut stones, and the rarest mechanical works, 

 to ofler them to the emperor. 



It is principally in the execution of vases of jade that the skill of 

 Chinese artists shines forth. The quantity of them to be met with is 

 immense, from flasks, in which they keep snuff, to drinking-cups and 

 incense-burners, all showing to what perfection the art of cutting, sculp- 

 turing, and polishing hard stones in China has attained. 



Among the drinking-cups we would mention principally the kia, 

 vases made of precious stone for containing wine. A cup of this kind 

 of the period of Tcheou, 1122 B. C, was made known to the world, dur- 

 ing the last century, by the Emperor Khien-loung, and is described in 

 his "Ancient China,'' by M. G. Pauthier. The poet Tsiu-tsan seems to 

 allude to this class of cups when he says, in his "Improvisation before 

 the Flowers," " the perfume of these poor flowers penetrates into the 

 cups of jade and is embalmed in the wine of autumn." 



With those may also be ranked the vessels or dishes for service at 



