THE CERAMIC ART IN CHINA. 447 



25. Pencil-holder, tall, circular in shape, of pure-white Ming dynasty porcelain, 

 formed of sprays of lotus flowers and leaves admirably molded in relief 

 and covered with lustrous, transparent glaze, the spaces between the flowers 

 and leaves being excised to form open-work. No mark; bottom unglazed. 

 Height, 3f inches ; diameter, 2^ inches. 

 171. Pencil -tvasher of white Ming porcelain, of globular form, with low, open neck, 

 and a handle on either side formed of a grotesque lion's head molded in 

 relief. Decoration consists of six genii riding on a sword, a carj), a tiger, 

 a hat, a bunch of sticks, and a dragon, painted in deep blue through 

 brick-red waves under glaze. Round neck and foot a narrow band of white 

 studded with blue spots. Mark Ts'ai-hua-fang, the designation of a portion of 

 some princely palace not yet identified. Height, 2| inches ; diameter, 3^ inches. 

 The sage riding the waves upon the sword is Lil Fung-pin, stated to 

 have been born A. T>. 755. While holding office as magistrate of 

 Te-hua, in modern Kiangsi, he is said to have met the immortalized 

 Chung li Ch'iian, who instructed him in the mysteries of alchemy. 

 On his subsequently begging to be allowed to convert his fellow- 

 countrymen to the true belief, he was, as a preliminary, exposed to 

 ten temptations, which he successfully resisted. He was then 

 invested with the formulas of magic and a sword of supernatural 

 power, as the Taoist legends relate, with which he traversed the 

 empire during a period of four hundred years, killing dragons and 

 ridding it of divers kinds of evils. In the twelfth century temples 

 were erected to his honor under the title of Ch'un Yang. (Mayers, 

 No. 467.) 

 He of the carp is Kin-Kao, "a sage who lived in northern China about 

 the twelfth century. It is said that he wandered over the province of 

 Chihli for two centuries, and then, taking leave of his disciples 

 with a promise to return by a certain day, he plunged into the river. 

 When the appointed time for his re-appearance arrived, the pupils, 

 with a great multitude, assembled upon the banks, and, having 

 duly bathed and purified themselves, made oflferings to him. At 

 length, in the sight of ten thousand persons, he sprang from the water 

 riding upon a carp. After tarrying with his friends for a month ho 

 again entered the river and was seen no more."* 

 The sage on the tiger is perhaps Chii Ling-jeu, a rishi of marvelous 



powers. 

 He on the bundle of sticks is perhaps Damma, son of a king in southern 

 India, "who," says Mr. Anderson in his catalogue, p. 511, " was tho 

 first Chinese patriarch. He arrived inChina A. D. 520, and established 

 himself in a temple in Lozang. During nine years of his stay there 

 he remained buried in profound abstraction, neither moving nor 

 speaking, and when he returned to consciousness of his surroundings 

 his legs had become paralyzed by long disuse. In the Batsu-zo-dza-i 

 it is said he came to Japan A. D. 613, and died on Mount Kataoaka. 

 The Chinese, however, maintain he died and was buried in China, 

 but that three years after his death he was met traveling toward 

 India, with one foot bare, and when his tomb was opened by the 

 emperor's order it was found empty save for a cast oif shoe." 

 The dragon genius is Ch'en Nan, a sage possessed of supernatural powers 

 to cure the sick, transmute metals, travel enormous distances, etc. 

 Passing through a place where the inhabitants were praying lor rain 

 he stirred a pool where he knew a dragon lived, with a long iron 

 pole. So plenteous a downpour at once ensued that all the rivers 

 were filled. 



*Ander3oii: "Japanese and Cbinese Paintings in British Museum," p. 236. 



