The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-09-08
Chinese Carvings.
Times.

win the admiration OF ali VINO see
them. In the amount of patti ent labor
required for their execution there are
no carvings at the exhibition that ap-
proach them. and some of them can
scarcely be excelled in beauty by any
in the world The ivory carvings
merit special attention, and they re-
ceive it, for stheir location is more
visited than any other spot in the sec
tion. They formed part of a collection
of carvings and jewelry exhibited by
Lee Ching, Wac Ching, and Yut Ching
Of Canton. In glass showcase will
be noticed an elephants tuSk two and
a half feet in length, standing with
the convex side of the tapering end
embedded in a solid mass of ebony
carved into representation of a rocky
eminence rising out of a bamboo plan
tation, through which Chinese labor
ers are making their way, pushing
aside, as well as they can, the tall and
elastic canes. Beginning at the apex
of the tusk and extending up the con-
cave side to the thicker end is an ivory
city on mountain side, wonderfully
we'll executed, There are the joss
houses and the palaces, shaded by
tall mulberry trees, military marching
IN the streets, pumpkin-head celeStials,
with half their bodies out through the
windows to see what is going on, and,
towering above all, the characteristic
landmarks of Chinese city-pagodas.
In the jOSs-hOuses are seen, on their
knees, or Frustrated on their faces,
iOSSmen and hundreds of women, but
very few laymen, the jOSsmen having
only Indifferent success in their en-
deavor to inStill into the hearts of the
males piety enough to attend worship.
lit required the labor of one man for
over three years TO execute this cary
ing, and yet its price in China is only
$500, and for that sum it has been sold
to the Pennsylvania Museum of Art.
Ivory carving is prominent industry
in China, but it is confined chiefly to
Canton. The workmen are paid ID
cents day and their food. This ex-
plains the reas on why an article which.
if made by Americans could not be
sold without sacrifice at less than
$4,000, is offered by Cinnamon at
about one-tenth of that sum. All these
caryingS-in fact, all the articles in
the Chinese section-Were executed
by hand, there being little machinery
in China, except that used by Eur ope
ans.
The second great feature OF the eX-
hibit is perfect paGoda, or Chinese
tower, in miniature, four and half
feet high. 1t has ten stories, each
story being capped by one of those Pc
culiar projecting roofs so well known
from tea-caddie art. PagOdas have no
use in China except as ornaments and
obseryatories for cities. They are, as
far IS possible, located on eminences,
and when suitable elevations are not
III city, the pagodaS are built on
hills outside the walls. The number
of pagOdas in a city depends upon the
size of the latter. Chinese cities are
of four classes, In city of the fourth
class there are five pagodas in one of
the third class, ten; in one of the
second class, Is, and in one of the first
class, 90. The height of these towers
is generally from $50 to 500 feet. The
JOSS houses are used for worship, but
the cOStodianS of the towers are JOSS
men, TO whom small fee is paid by
visitors. The pagoda stands on the
centre of an ivory base representing
plot of ground enclosed by a fence of
ivory posts, supporting carved Ivory pam
els that must be ScrutiniZed closely TO
he distinguished from the finest flower
ed lace. Within this area is the portal,
which would pass as miniature of
the one ut the western entrance to the
Chinese section. In the plot about the
tower are fourteen trees heavily laden
with fruit and in their shade CeleStials,
young and old, male and female, are
Scampering about and having a jolly
time. The Chinese manifest in their
pictures and statues of the human
form either their inability to represent
it or delight in berlesquing it after
the most outlandiSh fashion. The
tower is hcNagonal and slightly pyra-
midal. At each edge is round sup
port running from top TO bottom.
These SIX supports brace the main p0r-
ton of the structure, which consist of
sheets of carving, having the same
similarity to elegant Belgian lace as
the panels Of the fence. Each story is
enclrcled, just above the Gaping of the
next lower story, 10y railing similar
IN construction as the fence. and from
the four corners Of each of the ten cap
pings are supported as many bells.
This pagoda does not, like the city on
the hillside. consists merely of one solid
piece OF ivory, but of many pieces cum
niHgly joined together by overlapping
or dovetailing process, without nail,
PIN, or cord. If Americans had the
patience, and itmaY be added, the skill.
to execute work like this, they could
not sell 1t profitable for less than So
aJ0. The Chinese, however, have
marked it 5000
But the most curious, and to many
people puzZling carvings of the lot are
the ornamental ivory balls. One of
these is five inches in diameter, and
has fourteen circular perforations,
each three-fourths of an inch in diam.
eter Within a hollow sphere are
twenty-three other smaller ones, each