The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-21
lFrom the PhiIadelphia Times. ]

from the Philadelphia Times.I
The wood and. ivory carvings in the Chi
nese section of the main building win the
admiration of all who see them. In the
amount OF patient labor required for their
execution there are no carvings at the EXhi-
them can scarcely he eXcelled in beauty by
any in the world. The ivory carvings
merit special attention, and they receive
it, for their location is more visited than
any other spot in the section. They form
part of o collection Of carvings and jewelry
exhibited by Lee Ching, Wac Ching, and
Yut Ching, of Canton. In glass show
case will be noticed an elephants trlsk two
md half feet in length, standing with
the coyex side OF the tapering end embed
ded in solid mass Of ebony carved into
representation OF rocky eminence rising
out of q bamboo plantation, through which
Chinese laborers are making their way, push
ing aside as well as they can the tall and elastic
canes. Beginning at the apex OF the tuSk
and extending up the concave side to the
thicker end is an ivory city on amountaln SIDE
wonderfully we'll executed. There are the
Joss houses and the palaces, shaded by tall
mulberry trees, military marching III 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 a Chinese
city-pagodas. In the Joss houses are seen,
on their knees or Frustrated on their faces,
Jossmen and hundreds of women, but very
few hymen, the Jossmen having only indif-
ferent success in their endeavor to instil
into the hearts OF the males piety enough to
make them attend worship. 1t required
the labor of one man for over three
years to execute this carving, and yet its
price in China is only 1920, and for that
sum it has been sold to the Pennsylvania
Museum OF Art. Ivory carving is proml-
nent industry in China, but it is confined
chiefly to Canton. The workmen are paid
fifteen cents day and their food. This en-
plains why an article which, If made in
America bv Americans could not be sold
without sacrifice ut less than $4,000, is Of
fered by Cinnamon for about one-tenth OF
that sum. All these carvings-in fact, all
the articles in the Chinese Section-Were
executed by hand, there being little ma
chinery in China except that used by Euro
peans.
The second great feature of the exhibit is
aperfect pagoda, or Chinese tower, in minla-
ture, four and q half feet high. 1t has ten
stories, each story being capped by one OF
those peculiar projecting roofs so well
known from tea-caddie art. Pagodas
and obseryatories for cities. They are, as
far as possible, located ON eminences, and
when suitable elevations are not in city,
the pagodas are built on hills outside the
walls. The number Of pagodas in a city
depends upon the size of the latter. Chi
nese cities are OF four classes. In a
city OF the fourth class there are five pa
godas; in one of the third class, ten; in
one Of the second class, fifteen; and in one
of the first class, twenty. The height Of
these towers is generally from one hundred
and fifty to three hundred feet. The Joss
houses are used for worship, but the Gus
todians Of the towers are Jossmen. to whom
small fee is paid by visitors. The pagoda
stands ON the centre OF an ivory base repre-
senting plat of ground, enclosed by fence
OF ivory posts, supporting carved ivory
panels that must he scrutiniZed closely to be
distinguished from the finest lowered
Lace. Within the area is a portal which
would pass as miniature Of the
one ut the western entrance to the
Chinese section. I'm the plot about the tower
are four trees heavily laden with fruit, and
In their shade Celestials; young and old,
male and female, are seampering about and
having Jolly time. The Chinese manifest
in their pictures and statues Of the human
form either their inability to accurately re-
present it or u delight in burlesgueing it
after the most outlandish fashion. The
tower is hexagonal and slightly pyramidal.
At each edge is o round support running
from top to bottom. These six supports
brace the main portion Of the struc-
fure, which consists OF sheets OF cary
Ing, having the same similarity to
elegant Belgian lace as the panels OF the
fence. Each story is encircled, just above
the Gaping OF the next lower story, by a
railing similar In construction to the fence,
and from the four corners OF each Of the ten
cappings are suspended rs many bells. This
pagoda does not, like the city on the hila-
side, consist merely OF one solid mass OF
ivory. but Of many pieces cunningly Joined