Ivory Wand Or Mace "Ts'ao P'ien"
date: label: Accession Date
content: 10 Jun 1929
name: label: Donor Name
content: Rev. Dr. David C. Graham
notes: label: Notes
content: From card: "Flat section (1/8") of elephant tusk used by former Chinese officials as a symbol of authority while exercising some of the duties of office. Taoist priests used it as a symbol of authority in the spiritual world. Idols have them in their hands for the same reason. In earlier days probably made of other material. Rare." Formerly on exhibit in NHB Exhibit Hall 7, case 57. Exhibit label identified as: "Memory Tablet, China, 18th Century. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), high-ranking court officials used ivory tablets on which they made notes to be consulted when they presented formal oral reports to their superiors. By looking at the tablets, the officials not only jogged their memories but also avoided the disrespect of looking at illustrious dignitaries. After these memory devices were no longer used by Chinese officials, they were employed by Taoist priests as symbols of spiritual authority; official court use persisted in Korea until recently."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 30 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Yibin (Suifu), Sichuan Province (Szechuan), China, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Chinese
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 105678
label: USNM Number
content: E342095-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Wand