Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-09-07

Chinese Carvings.
Frotn the Philadelphia Times.

Chinese Carvings.
Trotn the Philadelphia Times
The wood and ivory carvings in tho
Chinese 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 exhibition that up.
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 their location is more
visited than any other spot in the Sec
ton. They formed part Of collection
of carvings and jewelry exhibited by
Lee Ching, Wac Ching, and Yut Ching
of Canton. In 4 glass showcase will
be noticed an elephants tusk two and
q half feet in length, standing with
the convex side of the tapering end
carved into a representation of a rocky
eminence rising out of a bamboo plan.
tation, through which Chinese labor.
ers are making their way, pushing
aside, rs we'll 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 4 mountain side, wonderfully
well 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 4 Chinese city-pagodas.
In the joss-houses are seen, on their
knees, or prostrated on their faces,
jossmen 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.
1t required the labor of one man for
over three years to execute this carv.
ing, and yet it's price in China is only
1920, and for that sum it has been sold
to the Pennsylvania Museum of Art.
Ivory carving is Il prominent industry
in China, but it is confined chiefly to
Canton. The workmen are paid Is
cents day and their food. This ex-
plains the reason why all 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
carvings-in fact, all tho articles in
| the Chinese section--were executed
by hand, there being little machinery
in China, except that used by Euro pc
ans.
The second great feature of the eX-
hibit is a perfect pagoda, or Chinese
tower, in miniature, four and q half
feet high. 1t has ten stories, each
story being capped by one of those pc.
culiar projecting roofs so we'll known
from tea-caddie art. Pagodas have nc
use in China except us ornaments and
observatOries 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 city depends upon the
size of the latter. Chinese cities are
of four classes. In a city of the fourth
class there ale five pagodas in one OF
the third class, ten; in one of tht
second class, Is, and in one of the frs
class, 90. The height of these towers
is generally from $50 to 800 feet. Th'
joss houses are used for worship, bu
the costOdians of the towers are joss
men, to whom small fee is paid b,
visitors. The pagoda stands on tn
centre of an ivory base representing ;
plot of ground enclosed by fence O.
ivory posts, ,supportingcarvediv0ry pan
els that must be scrutinized closely tt
be distinguished from the finest flower
ed lace. Within this area is the portal
which would pass rs Il miniature o.
the one at the western entrance to TIN
Chinese section. In the plot about tn
tower are fourteen trees heavily lade1
with fruit land in their shade Celestials
young and old, male and female, Art
scampering about and having q jolly
time. The Chinese manifest in theil
pictures and statues of the human
form either their inability to represen
it or delight in berlesquing it aftel
the most outlandish fashion. Th'
tower is hexagonal and slightly pyra
midal. At each edge is round sup
port running from top to bottom
These six supports brace the main por
tion of the structure, which consist O.
sheets of carving, having the sam'
similarity to elegant Belgian lace a
the panels of the fence. Each story i
encircled, just above the Gaping of tn
next lower story, by railing simila
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 o.
the hillside, consists merely of one soli
piece OF ivory, but of many pieces cur
ningly joined together by overlappin
or dovetailing process, without mai
pin, or cord. If Americans had tn
patience, and it may be added, the skill
to execute a work like this, they coul
not sell it profitable for less than SO
500. The Chinese, however, hav
: marked it 5000.
But the most curious, and to man
people puzzling carvings of the lot al
the ornamental ivory balls. One
these is five inches in diameter, an
has fourteen circular perforation
each three.fourths of an inch in dian
eter. Within a hollow sphere al
twenty-five other. smaller ones, eac
:, moving free of all the others. Supe
p stitious people ask how the latter g
in there, and look around them as
! on the watch for witches. The Oper
;. tion is very simple one, but it r
y quires immense patience. The sol
. sphere of ivory is taken and the fou
teen or other number of holes bore
until they have reached points, 81
half an inch from the centre. A sma
sharp carving instrument the cutter
;: which must be at a sharp angle wit
j. the handles, is introduced into ea'
e hole, and by careful cutting, a SIN:
d ball may be freed in the centre of tt
A mass. 1t will hardly, however, be pe
Ie fectly spherical. This process is I
IS peated as often as is represented
q the number of spheres to be free
n But the most delicate part of the wo
if is to follow, for the outside sphere
a the ball in question has been tral
TT formed by the magic touch OF t
TO Oriental artist into forests, cities, a.
1e groups Of people, and each of the
q. side ones into iyOrV lace of the m(