474 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



Yang Kuei-fei, tbe (laughter of au obscure official iu the modern Szeehueu, 

 was introduced by the designing minister Li Liu-fu iuto the seraglio 

 of the Emperor Ming Huang, of the T'ang dynasty (died A. D. 762). 

 Becoming enamored of her beauty, the Emperor abandoned the wise 

 counsels of Chang Yiich, Chang Chin -ling, and other ministers, 

 under whose administration the empire enjoyed great prosperity, and 

 sank, year by year, more deeply in the toils of amorous dalliance. 

 The Princess Yang's three sisters were also introduced into the 

 seraglio and endowed with valuable fiefs. No outlay was spared in 

 gratifying the caprices and covetousness of his family of favorites, 

 and the nation was sacrificed to the licentious enjoyment of the 

 court, till at last the people rose in revolt, the aged monarch was 

 forced to take refuge in western China and, after undergoing the 

 misery of witnessing the butchery of his favorites, to abdicate in 

 favor of his son . 



Hsi Shih, the daughter of humble parents, but the neplus ultra of loveli- 

 ness in Chinese tradition. A report of her consummate beauty 

 having reached the ears of her sovereign, Kon Chien, Prince of Yiich, 

 a state occupying the east coast of China below the Yangtsze iu the 

 fifth century B. C, he had the girl trained in all the accomplish- 

 ments of her sex and sent her as a present to his victorious rival, the 

 Prince of Wu, in the hope that her charms might prove his ruin. 

 The stratagem was successful and Vu Ch'a, Prince of Wu, abandon- 

 ing himself to lustful dalliance, was ere long defeated and crushed. 

 It is said of Hsi Shih that finding her beauty was enhanced by an air 

 of melancholy, she was accustomed to knit her brows as though in 

 pain, and this device, adding as it did to her attractiveness, was 

 copied by rival beauties who vainly sought to equal her charms.* 



244. Vase, white Cheinlung porcelain, bulging from foot to two-thirds height, 



then contracting to short everted neck. Ornamented with long trailing 

 stalks of conventional lotus flowers and leaves molded in relief on paste ; 

 confined below by foliate panel ornamentation, also in relief, with shading 

 engraved in the paste, and above, by a band of same, having above it a band 

 of geometrical pattern and round the neck a foliate band, both engraved iu 

 the paste and covered by a celadon glaze so faint as to be almost white. No 

 mark. Height, 12| inches. 



245. Vase of white Cheinlung porcelain, pear-shaped like No. 238 but more slender ; 



having nine Imperial five-clawed dragons (see No. 4) surrounded by flecks of 

 flames, soaring in mid-air and rising from waves which are incised in the 

 paste around foot, all finely molded m relief, with crisp outline on the paste 

 and covered with a deep peacock-green glaze coarsely crackled. A beautiful 

 specimen of this rare ware. No mark. [M. du Sartel gives a drawing in his 

 work of a similar vase, which he (erroneously) refers to what he terms la 

 premiere 4poqae, i. e., the early portion of the Ming dynasty, fifteenth century] 

 Height, 14 inches. 



246. Pencil-holder of pure white Chienlnng porcelain, of cylindrical shape with 



much everted mouth and corresponding foot, and bound in middle by a 

 raised band ornamented with flowers and leaves ; from either side of this band 

 springs a circlet of veined banana leaves, all incised in the paste under a 

 brilliant transparent glaze. A Chingte-chen copy of a similar article of the 

 Tingchow ware of the Sung dynasty, an ancient bronze vessel having served 

 as the original model. No mark. Height, 2f inches; diameter at month, 

 3f inches. 



Mayers: Op. cit. No. 571. 



