REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1914. 73 
monks, and saints (arhats). The elaborate ritual of Buddhism is 
illustrated by a large number of musical instruments from China, 
wooden and ornamental lacquered drums from Japan, temple lan- 
terns, cruses, candlesticks, censers, rosaries, prayer wheels, ete. Of 
the several models of Buddhist temples may be mentioned that of 
the Wat Chang pagoda, the most magnificent edifice at Bangkok, 
Siam, a gift of the Marquis Visuddha, minister of Siam to England, 
which occupies a special case. The sacred literature of Buddhism 
is represented by the Siamese edition of the 7ripitaka, presented by 
the King of Siam. 
A collection illustrating some of the rites and ceremonies of the 
Parsees or Zoroastrians in India is exhibited in a special case. It 
comprises a nickel-plated brass set of the utensils for keeping up the 
perpetual sacred fire, offering trays, religious costumes, sprigs of the 
sacred haoma plant, and a fine wooden model of the Tower of Silence 
on which the Parsees lay out their dead. Shintoism, the primitive 
national religion of Japan, is represented by a collection of shrines 
and their contents, as the go-hei, mirrors, saki cups, two engraved 
swords in scabbards of cloisonné and lacquer, masks, and votive 
tablets. 
One Kensington case contains a Korean sorcerer’s outfit; another, 
a collection of amulets, ranging from some that were used by the 
ancient Egyptians to stich as have been found among the Negroes in 
this country; and, a third, a collection of oriental manuscripts (Ko- 
ran, a Samaritan Pentateuch, and parts of the Ethiopic Scriptures) 
belonging to the S. S. Howland collection. 
A series of photogravures and prints arranged on either side of the 
high altar in the center gallery supplements and completes the relig- 
ious exhibit on the gallery. 
In the rotunda two colossal wooden images of Vishnu and Buddha, 
both from Ceylon, attract the attention of the visitor. The rotunda 
also contains the splendid S. S. Howland collection of Buddhist re- 
ligious art; already mentioned. Assembled by Mr. Howland during 
his travels abroad, which extended from Iceland to Burma, most of 
the objects were obtained by him from their original possessors. 
Among its contents are a considerable number of Buddha images in 
teakwood, bronze, and alabaster, gilded and incrusted with colored 
stones; several lacquered shrines containing figures of Buddha and 
attendants; figures of Buddhist saints (arhats) and monks, orna- 
mental begging bowls; two superb bronze temple lamps of open fret- 
work, about 4 feet in height, from Tibet; a sacred book written on 
palm leaves; a howdah, or saddle, of the sacred white elephant; the 
cabinet of the King of Burma, of carved open woodwork, gilded and 
inlaid with pieces of glass; and some Chinese and Japanese lacquered 
and porcelain figures. 
