996 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



roll up the globules of tobacco, when, on turning to the brazier, the mouth of the 

 bowl downward, out rolled the pellet. It was made too small for the bowl of the 

 pipe. Here, then, there was conclusive evidence that the pipe was not his own. 

 (The Mikado's Empire, p. 501.) 



No. 86. Robe chest, formerly belonging to the Tycoon; it bears his crest of the 

 three mallow leaves within a circle. This is one of the finest representative pieces 

 of the work of old Japanese artists extant. 



No. 87. A cabinet, in old gold lacquer, from the Tycoon's private collection. 



Nos. 88 and 89. Two gold-lacquered dispatch boxes, also from the Tycoon's pri- 

 vate stores. 



No. 90. A pearl-inlaid scarf box. 



No. 91. The old Tycoon's helmet case, on which is emblazoned his crest. 



No. 92. A chow-chow case of less pretensions. 



On the eastern section of case No. 86 will be seen the following rare pieces: 



Nos. 93 and 94. Two hanging tablets, originally intended for holding slips of 

 poetry, but now, through the agency of Tiffany &Co., converted into beautiful hold- 

 ings for a thermometer and a weather glass. They are very old and of pure gold 

 lacquer. 



Nos. 95 and 96 are two specimens of rare carving in wood. They are the produc- 

 tion of an unknown age, but believed to be of the fifteenth century. These pieces, 

 when discovered, were laid away in a family tracing far back its descent. They 

 were looked upon as "heirlooms," but want tempted the owners to part with them. 

 The frames to these pieces were so old as to fall off in the handling, and were newly 

 framed since they came into the possession of the present owner. 



No. 97. Cloisonne vase. — Is a splendid specimen of cloisonne work. There are few 

 superiors. 



No. 98. Another cabinet from the Tycoon's private stores. It is one of the finest 

 specimens of old gold lacquer. It has on it the Tycoon's crest of three leaves within 

 a circle, said to have been derived from a cake ornamented with three mallow leaves, 

 offered in hospitality to the founder of the Tokugawa family in the fourteenth 

 century. 



No. 99. One of the imperial presents. It is several feet in height. The base or 

 pedestal is of pure old gold lacquer; nothing ever made of this character of work sur- 

 passes it. On the pedestal rests a richly wrought silver vase of basket form, from 

 which springs two branches of the Japanese plum tree (mume), converging to form 

 an arch; on these branches are perched two nightingales wrought in silver. This 

 combination of the nightingale with the plum tree is the poet's combination. It is 

 symbolical of friendship and esteem. 



No. 100. Another imperial present, equally exquisite in design and execution. 

 The base is of pure gold lacquer. On this pedestal rests a representative of a rock 

 carved in bronze, around which are twining branches of "Paulownia Imperialis," 

 the imperial tree of Japan. Upon the top of this rock are perched, in graceful atti- 

 tude, two of the mythical "Ho-ho," or, according to Griffis, Ho-wo. Both of these 

 mythical birds are wrought from pure silver, and are of the highest order of Japanese 

 art. These two pieces — Nos. 99 and 100 — were selected by members of the royal 

 household from a collection of rare productions in the possession of the ancient 

 princes of the Empire, said to be two hundred years old. 



The Japanese idea of the mythical Ho-ho. — (The Ho-wo, or phanix, as seen in piece 

 No. 100; sometimes written by the English Ho-ho.) The Ho-wo, as seen on the 

 smaller silver (imperial presents) is a fabulous bird of Chinese mythology, whose 

 visits upon the earth are as rare as those of the angels. It is seen sculptured upon 

 the tombs of the Shoguns of Japan, stamped upon their paper currency, and pictured 

 in every way. It seems to be a combination of the pheasant and peacock. According 

 to Professor Griffis, it is described by the Chinese as follows: "The phoenix (Ho-wo, 



