Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-09
CHINESE CURIOS.
An Interesting Report by Mr.. Bed
loe, Consul at Annoy.
UNIQUE And ARTISTIC DECORATIONS.
Many Articles Are Manufactured
From Peculiar Shells.
ODDITIES IN WELRY.


ODDITIES IN WELRY.
Mr.. Edward Bedloe, United States consul
at Annoy, has made a report to the State
Department in regard to Chinese curios.
He says practically untouched field Is
the importation into the United States Of
the curios. works Of art. household orna-
ments. and decorations for which the peo-
pie in this part Of China are famous.
Those worthy Of comment are mentioned.
Nothing Goes to Waste.
Nothing, not even the shells Of the sea,
goes to waste in the extreme orient. Life
Is too fierce. Everything, no matter how
humble, Is utilized in some way. Thus, for
example. nearly every form of shellfsh is
used for food. After the extraction Of the
living organism the shells are not thrown
away, as in the western world. Some are
reserved for the button maker; others for
the glue boiler. At least dozen industries
are supported by what we would call the
refuse Of shells. When these industries
have exhausted the raw material. what re-
mains is sold to the lime kiln and the kitch-
en- gardener. There are few. il any, shell
mounds in the flowery empire. One family
OF untvalves the strombusl Is used for
making fish horns, toy trumpets. war horns
and the like. The animal is extracted and
sold in the market. The shell IL boiled,
scraped. and dried and the minor apex or
spindle cut Off at an obtuse angle with the
axis Of the warped surface. The resultant
shape is a success SO far as the production
of noise Is concerned. As a musical instru-
ment 1t is a dire failure. The toy trumpets
ks WI nil he ia
ear. but not any other.
The Fish Horn.
The fish horn is on a par with the tin
monstrosities with which Christmas is
celebrated. The war horns, heavy and
awkward, give hollow roar. more like the
below of stray calf than a call to glory.
All Of these implements Of dissonance are
durable and cheap. You will see fish horns
which have been used by father. son and
polished by years of handling into a pearly
enamel. In the country districts the farm
er's wife uses 1t to call her husband home,
and the herdsman to attract q lingering or
straytng charge. In ancient times the shell
war horns were in common use. Military
progress has replaced them with brass.
shell horns are still employed. Another
and ingenious way Of using shells Is as
buttons. sleeve links and hairpin heads.
For this purpose a small shell is employed,
ranging from one-fourth of an inch to an
inch in diameter. 1t is cleaned and polish
ed and half filled with molten solder Be
is inserted in the middle of the molten
mass. The loop becomes the shank Of the
button. which Is strong. neat and very at
tractive. The shells employed are all men,
bers Of the Cypraea family, the most COM
mon being the cowrie. or Cypraea moneta-
The cost OF the buttons ranges from 20 to
loops are Of silver. and then the prices
are. Of course. considerably higher.
Things Made From Shells.
More ingenious are the shell cups, sau-
GERS and spoons made from the larger
types of tropical univalve shells. The finest
specimens came from the southern Philip
pines and the next from Borneo, but good
ones are found In the Pescadores and For
mosa. 1t would seem as IL the original
idea was Malayan. and that the other races
Of the Orient were merely imitators. In
making cups and saucers the conchs are
as cocoanuts are when intended for dippers
They are cleaned and polished, and the con-
vex surface ground slightly SO as to rest
on table without spilling or fitting. The
spoons are made by saving the round su-
perior surface Of the conch at such an angle
as to partially intersect the spindle or
the completed spoon. According to the size
of the shell. the result Is a dessert spoon.
tablespoon. or ladle capable Of contain
ing quart. The interior Is Of a rich sui
phur. salmon. orange color or q pearly
iuster. 1t has no angles where dirt can
accumulate and is about the handsomest
natural spoon have ever seen. They stand
heat and cold well, but are attacked by
vinegar, lemon juice and other acid SUBJ
stances. The best market in which to OBJ
tain them today Is Cebu. in the Philippine
Islands.
The Largest Industry.
The largest industry is the cutting of
beads, buttons. studs and other small arti-
Giles from shells Of a high luster. There are
some fifty species which are utilized in this
manner, Of which the Chinese mussel and
oyster are the most prominent One variety
gives black. blue and white button similar
to the cats eyes Of Ceylon. and named after
these Annoy or Canton cats eyes. A second
variety Is of a pale fawn ranging to trans
lucency. called white cats eyes. n third is
half an inch in diameter and resembles
light brown onyx. The black and white
cats eyes are used for bracelets, necklaces,
ladies' dress buttons and also as dress orna-
ments similar to pearls. The balls are
strung and used necklaces, bracelets,
earrings and rosaries. Though apparently
BILE. Their price depends upon some in
scrutable Chinese rule and varies from half
cent to cents apiece. Even a the higher
decoration we have in the east. When
mounted as buttons the black cats eyes
are notable ornament to black silk
dress. The gradations OF color are brought
out into fine relief, and the suggestion of
blue which runs through the shell gives a
color to the somber silk that is very pleas
ing. The best effect is when they are
sewed closely together in double lines upon
vest or waist, when they seem to be a fine
and brilliant stripe. A queer way Of setting
both cats eyes and onyx balls practiced by
the Chinese consists In alternating them
with small carved fruit stones. 1t Is rather
attractive as an oddly. but the lack Of color
deprives 1t of any aesthetic value.
The Value of Silver.
Silver is to the orient what gold is to the
west. To the artist. the scholar, and the
collector 1t is the king of all the precious
metals. Its popularity Is not due to its cheap
ness. Jade, which rivals silver In public
esteem. is much more expensive than gold.
There may be another reason for the small
use of gold as an ornament by the Chinese.
In designation Of rank and title q gold
button stands at nearly the bottom Of the
list. Then, on the other hand, yellow gold
en- Is the imperial color, and none but those
around the son of heaven are allowed to
use 1t for wearing and other purposes. Sill
yer 1ewelry and curios in China are uni
verSal. The poorest coolies wife has usu-
ally argent bracelets and earrings. In curioS
and bric-a-brac the number Of silver ar
tfcles is legion. The greatest manufactur-
ing center is Canton; but Annoy, Fuchau.
Marking, and Picking possess artists and
guilds whose workmanship is famous over
the empire. Hours may prof1tab1y be spent
in studying the designs Of these eastern
artifcers. One class Of these consists of
miniature reproductions of features of daily
life and is adapted for earrings. watch
charms, pendants, and bangle attachments.
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