The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-08-10
Chinese Carvings.

Chlnese sectlon 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 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 visit
ed than any other spot in the section. They
form part OF collection of carvings
and jewelry exhibited by Lee Ching, Wac
Ching and 1ut Ching, of Canton. In a
glass showcase will be noticed an ele-
plants tusk two and a half feet in length,
standing with the convex side of the taper
ing end embedded in solid mass of ebony
carved into representation of rocky
eminence rising out of a bamboo planta-
ton, through which Chinese laborers are
making their way, pushing aside, as we'll
as they can, the tall and elastic canes. Be-
ginning at the apex of the tusk and ex-
tending up the concave 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 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 laymen, the jossmen
having only Indifferent success in their
endeavor 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 carving, and
yet its price in China is only $500, and for
that sum it has been sold to the Pennsyl-
vania Museum of Art. Ivory carving is a
prominent industry in China, but it is
confined chiefly to Canton. The work
men are paid fifteen cents day and their
food. This explains the reason why an
article which, if made in America by
Americans could not be sold without sac
rifce at less than $1,000, is offered by
Cinnamon at about One-tenth of that sum.
All these carvings-in fact, all these arti-
Giles in the Chinese section-were executed
by hand, there being little machinery in
China, except that used by Europeans.
The second great feature of the exhibit
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 peculiar projecting roofs
so we'll known from tea-caddie art Pa
godas have no use in China except as Or
naments and observatories for cities. They
are, as far as possible, located on emf
nences, 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. 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, fifteen,
and in one Of the first class, twenty. The
height of these towers is generally from
$50 to 800 feet. The joss-houses are used
for worship, but the custodians of the
towers are jossmen, to whom small fee
is paid by visitors. The pagoda stands on
the center of an ivory base representing a
plot of ground inclosed by fence of
ivory posts, supporting carved ivory pan
els that must be scrutinized closely to be
distinguished from the finest Powered
lace. Within this area IS the portal,
which would pass as 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, young and old,
male and female, are scampering about
onu nasiHS jury CAAio. Ane SH1Acsc
manifest in their pictures and statues of
the human form either their inability to
represent it or delight in burlesquing
1t after the most outlandish fashion. The
tower is hexagonal and slightly pyramidal.
At each edge is round support running
from top to bottom. These six supports
brace the main portion of the structure,
which consists of sheets of carving, hav-
ing 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 railing SINH
lar in construction to the fence, and from
the four corners of each of the ten cap
pings are suspended as many bells. This
pagoda does not, like the city on the hill
side, consist merely of one solid piece of
ivory, but of many pieces cunningly
joined together by the overlapping or
dovetailing process, without nail, pin or
cord. If Americans had the patience,
and it may be added, the skill, to execute
work like this, they could not sell it
probably for less than $1,000. The Chi
nese, however, have marked it $500.
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 fourteen
circular perforations, each three fourths
of an inch in diameter. Within hollow
sphere are twenty three other smaller
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 requires immense patience.
The solid sphere of ivory is taken and the
fourteen or other number of holes bored
until they have reached points, say half
an inch from the center. A small, sharp
carving instrument, the cutter of which
must be at a sharp anglewith the handles,
is introduced into each hole, and by care
full cutting small ball may be freed in
the center of the mass. 1t will hardly,
however, be perfectly spherical. This
process is repeated as often as is repre-
sented by the number of spheres to be
freed. But the more delicate part Of the
work is to follow, for the outside sphere
of the ball in question has been trans
formed by the magic touch Of the Oriental
artist into forests, cities and groups of
people, and each of the inside ones into
ivory lace of the most flowery and delicate
pattern. 1t requires the labor Of one man
for over year and a half to carve this
ball, and yet it is marked for sale at 5000.
There are dragon boats, flower boats, and