The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-04-20
CHINA Is VERY VALUABLE.
crocksry that VIII Bring lite Weight
In Gold from cbnnoisseurs-


In Gold from cbnnoisseurs-
The possessor OF cups or saucers
with five-clawed green dragon
burned upon them or bowlwithadec-
grafton consisting OF sixteen-petaled
chrysanthemum can sell the fragile
ware for It's weight In purest gold.
But however richly decorated the piece
OF porcelain may otherwise be. unless
the dragon has Ave claws and the
chrysanthemum sixteen petals. no
more and no less. IL has no value In
one particular respect.
A green dragon with i've claws Is
the crest OF the Chinese emperor and
is the only porcelain manufactured for
his special use that Is permitted to
bear that device. Indeed, In China
the severest penalties are enforced
against any one even found with such
porcelain in his possession.
For similar reason search through
all the bric-a-brac stores In tue United
States for little cup with sixteen
petaled chrysanthemum on II. and the
chances are thousand 10 one you VIII
be disappointed. Cups, bowls and san-
GERS you will, OF course. ind In plenty
with chrysanthemums on them. but on
close inspection you will discover the
flower may have almost any number
OF petals but sixteen.
AS fye-claw dragon Is the crest
OF the Chinese emperor. 80 sixteen
petaled chrysantheinum is-that OF his
Imperial majesty OF Japan. and porce-
lain so decorated is also for his use
only. To prevent any Of this porce-
lain reaching the outside market the
greatest precautions are taken both In
the factory and the palace. All pieces
not In use or rejected at the factory
as imperfect are at once destroyed by
officers appointed for that purpose.
But In spite OF pena,,les and preeau-
lions u few pieces OF both do oc-
casionally escape official vigilance. and
these are likely TO be found In the
most unexpected places. Mere. for In
stance. is the story OF nve-elaw
green dragon saucer which was picked
up at sale for less than 2 cents.
A few years ago a eurlo hunter
bid In a job lot at an auction on ae-
count OF an old pistol which was OF.
fered with several other apparently
worthless objects. But In the lot was
a saucer with a single green dragon
on the inside surface. IL was rather |
a quaint-lo~klng piece. but as the
curio hunter explained subsequently,. |
he was not particularly interested In
porcelalns and at the time would have
readily made II present TO any one
for the asking. lie figured out that /
Il cost him less than 2 cents.
In year or two the owner decided |
10 dispose W his curios by auction. |
AS his collection was well known.
many people came to Inspect II before
he sale. He was then not It'll.
surprised TO be asked BY an apparently
much interested person whether the
saucer would be included In the sale.
- II was not entered on the catalogue.
The saucer had been entirely over
ooked. but II was finally decided 70
include II In the sale. though IL was
rot supposed the piece would bring 40
.ents.
SO. after the important numbers
lad been disposed OF. the auctloneer
tut up the saucer. with few pre-
iminary facetious remarks. He asked
( any one would bid ) cents for the
aucer. and cents was promptly Of
cred. Then came bid Of % cents.
apped by another OF so cents and be-
wcen two competitors the price rosc
risky TO $40. At So II was finally
Knocked down. 10 the a-tonlshulsnt Of
n the unInitinted present. HUT the
wo bidders happened to know the
alue OF five-claw dragon when they
aw one. at any rate on n saucer.
he subsequent history OF the saucer.
DO. was not uneventful. In n year or
wo II was again sold nj auction and
ras then bought by dealer nt big
dvance on the s23. by him II was
AIKEN east and resold into one OF the
nest collections. where II now rcposes
D n handsome glass cnse.