276 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



the fifth official rank and above is noted in the ' Tai-ho 

 court dress etiquette.' That third rank upper nobles may 

 wear belts ornamented with ivory work and that ladies in 

 waiting may use ivory combs is stated in 'yengi danjo 

 shikV (court ceremonial regulation issued in the yengi 

 period). When you examine the ivory combs, ivory flutes, 

 and ivory brush caps in 'The Shozoin Imperial Museum, 

 and the ivory rulers and ivory needlecases in the famous 

 and ancient 'Horiiiji Temple' you will see that a thousand 

 years ago there lived an artist who could cut ivory in a 

 manner truly marvellous. 



"In modern times we have many great carvers like Issai, 

 Hoshin, Shojiki, Insai, Shiizan, and Tanzan. These artists 

 have dexterously carved figures, animals, birds, insects, 

 fishes, flowers, etc. If you could read a book entitled 

 ' Zo-taiki/ literally meaning 'Records of Ivory Work,' writ- 

 ten by the famous poet Sanyo, you could satisfy yourself 

 about these artists' skill. 



*'Mr. Soma Sen-rei from Mutsu province, who is skilled 

 in the art of carving ivory, has recently given us a book 

 in which he describes the sketching and colouring of ivory, 

 as well as all the different kinds of tools he uses, and how 

 he uses them, all this being illustrated by himself. 



"I think modern artists are extremely clever with the 

 knife, but not with the pen; but Mr. Soma can handle the 

 pen as well as the knife, and he makes his readers compre- 

 hend his subject thoroughly; in fact, you can instruct your- 

 self without a teacher, so clear are the directions. I have 

 persuaded him to publish this work, being much pleased 

 with his enterprise." 



Finally, we have an introduction provided by Dr. Kuro- 

 kawa Mayori, another Lecturer-in-Ordinary to the Mikado, 

 and an authority on the Japanese classics. Of the Japan- 

 ese manual of ivory carving he writes : 



