126 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



single piece of ivory. Age has imparted to it a fine yellow- 

 tone with some brownish oval spots, perhaps from handling; 

 the shoes are coloured brown and the hair has a coating of 

 black lacquer. This figure came, in 1850, into the possession 

 of the oldest German resident of Yokohama, and was pre- 

 sented by his successor to Dr. Berthold Laufer. According 

 to well-informed Chinese — with whose opinion Doctor 

 Laufer inclines to agree — the women of the better class used 

 such figures in former times to indicate to a physician the 

 seat of their ailment. As the doctor was not permitted to 

 see a woman of this class she would thrust her hand through 

 a curtain opening so that he could feel her pulse, and would 

 then lay her finger upon that part of the ivory figure which 

 corresponded with the part of her own body that was affected. 

 Similar figures of wood, and in former days of bronze also, 

 have been used in China in the study of acupuncture.* 



The lot of the Chinese ivory carver of Canton does not 

 seem to be a very enviable one from a financial standpoint. 

 During the term of his apprenticeship, which lasts four years, 

 his master, besides supplying him with two meals a day — 

 probably rather meagre repasts — gives him as " shoe money " 

 $4 in Canton silver at the expiration of the first year, 

 $5 at the end of the second year, $6 at the end of the 

 third year, and $7 at the termination of the fourth and last 

 year of the apprenticeship. These small figures must, how- 

 ever, be reduced 50 per cent, to get the equivalent in our 

 money. After this, the ivory carver receives from his em- 

 ployer from $7 to $8 each month ($3.50 to $4 of our money) 

 in addition to the two daily meals. We need feel little sur- 

 prise that expert carvers should wish to earn something more, 

 and as a general rule they prefer to work for themselves in 

 their own houses, and are then able to earn as much as $30 

 Canton silver ($15 of our money) in a month. 



*Communication of Prof. Berthold Laufer. 



