The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-03
CELESTIAL WONDERS.
The Peerless Chinese Carving-An ivory
City on an Ivory Inside, and Cen
aennIal Puzzle of Ivory. -

Iron the Philadelphia Times. 80.
The wood and ivory carvings in the
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 carv-
ings at the Exhibition that approach
them, and some of them can scarcely
be 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
a collection of carvings and jewelry ex-
hibited by Lee Ching, Wac Ching and
Yut Ching, of Canton. In a glass show
case will be noticed an elephants tusk
two and half feet in length, standing
with the convex side OF the tapering end
embedded in solid mass of ebony
carved into a representation of a rocky
eminence rising out of bamboo planta-
ton, through which Chinese laborers
are making their way, pushing aside,
as well as they can, the tall and elastic
canes Beginning at the apex of the
ttusk and extending up the concaye4 side
to the thicker end is an ivory city on
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 tosee what is 60
ing 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, Jossmen and hundreds of
women, but very few laymen, the Joss
men having only Indifferent success in
their endeavor to instill 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 exc
cute this carving, and yet its price in
China is only 1920, and for that sum 1t
has been sold to the Pennsylvania Mu-
scum of Art. Ivory carving is prom
inent industry in China, but it is con-
fined chiefly to Canton. The workmen
are paid Is cents day and their food.
This explains the reason why an article
which, if made in America by Ameri-
cans could not be sold without sacrifice
at less than IS 1000, is offered by China
men at about one-tenth of that sum.
All these carvings-in fact, all the arti-
Giles in the Chinese section-were exc
cuted by hand, there being little ma
chinery in China, except that used by
Europeans. ..
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 be-
ing capped by one of those peculiar pro-
! iecting roofs so well known from tea
caddie art. Pagodas have no use in
China except as ornaments and obser-
vations for cities. They are, as far as
possible, located on eminences, and
when suitable elevations are not in a
city, the pagodas are built on hills out
side the walls. The number of pagodas
in a city depends upon The size of the
latter. Chinese cities are of four class
es. In a city of the fourth class there
are five pagodas; 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 $50 to 500 feet. The Joss
houses are used for worship, but the
custodians of the towers are Jossmen,
to whom a small fee is paid by visitors.
The pagoda stands on the center of an
ivory base representing plot OF
ground, enclosed by q fence of ivory
posts, supporting carved ivory panels
that must be scrutinized closely to be
distinguished from the finest lace.
Within this area is portal which would
pass as a miniature of the one at the
western entrance to the Chinese
section. In the plot about the tower
are four trees heavily laden with fruit,
and in their shade Celestials, yOusg and
old, male and female, are scampering
about and having q Jolly time. The
Chinese manifest in their pictures and
statues of the human form either their
inability to accurately represent it or a
delight in burlesquing it after the most
outlandish fashion. The tower is hex
agonal and slightly pyramidal. AT
each edge is round support running
/ from top to bottom. These six sup
ports brace the main portion of the
structure, which consists OF sheets OF
carving, 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 construc-
ton to the fence, and from the four
corners of each of the ten cappings are
suspended as many bells. This pagoda
does not, like the city on the hillside,
consist merely of one solid mass of
! ivory, but of many pieces cunningly
joined together by the overlapping and
dovetailing process without nail, pin or
cord. If Americans had the patience,
and it may be added, the skill, to exc
cute a work like this, they could not
sell it profitably for less than $4,000.
The Chinese, however, have marked ii
5000.
But the most curious and to most peo-
pie puzzling carvings of the lot are the
ornamental ivory balls. One of these
! is five inches in diameter, and has four
teen circular perfOrations, each three
/ fourths of an inch in diameter. Within
a hollow sphere are twenty-three other
similar ones, each moving free OF all
the others. Superstitious people ask
how the latter got in there, and look
around them in a frightened manner, as
though on the watch for witches. The
operation is very simple, but it re.
quires immense patience. The solid
sphere of ivory is taken and the four
teen or other number of holes bored I'M.
til they have reached points, say hall
an inch from the center. A small sharp
carving instrument, the cutter OF
which must be at sharp angle with
the handle, is introduced into each
hole, and by careful cutting small
ball may be freed in the center of the
mass. 1t will hardly, however
be perfectly spherical. This process i:
repeated as often as is represented by
the number of spheres to be freed
But the more delicate part of the work
is TO follow, for the outside sphere o.
the ball in question has been transform
ed by the magic touch of the Orienta
artist into forests, cities and groups o.
people, and each of the inside ones into
ivory lace of the most flowery and deli
cate pattern. 1t required the labor O
one man for over a year and a half t.
4 cay-vp this hall and vet IL il marked fOl