Page 108 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

76 CHINESE PORCELAIN.

close them at pleasure as he holds it. By covering the first
set of holes and gently breathing in the mouthpiece, a sweet
concert of sounds is produced, augmented to the octave and
twelfth as the force of breath is increased. By stopping other
— shriller and louder—
other notes are emitted; and
groups, any
tube can be sounded the wind from the
single by inhaling
wind-box and the other holes."
stopping Tea-pot shapes.
Nos. 108, 109. Castanets. It will be noticed that the
latter is composed of four parts.
Musical Clubs. — Doolittle, p. 501 : " It not imfrequently
occurs that ten or twelve young men of leisure and of means,
who are not of a literary turn of mind, form a society for the
purpose of learning to play on musical instruments and to sing-
songs. They engage a popular teacher, and contribute to pay
his wages. During this period incense and candles are regu-
larly lighted before the image of one of the gods of music."
The following shows the use made of musical instruments
by the Chinese during their religious ceremonies : —
Passing theough the Door. — Doolittle, p. 92: "The
ceremony of ' passing through the door ' sustains a very im-
to the
portant relation to the welfare of children, according
sentiment and of Chinese. Some families have
practice many
it second
performed regularly every year ; others, every year ;
—
others, every third year ; until the child is sixteen years old,
or the ceremony of ' going out of childhood ' is observed.
Sometimes, when a child is sickly, the door is passed through
once or twice per month. A day is usually spent in ' passing
'
through the door and its attendant ceremonies. Several
priests of the Taoist sect (never any of the Buddhist sect)
come to the residence of the lad's in the morning,
parents
and first an altar, made out of tables one
arrange placed ujjou
another. On the of the tables
uppermost they place censers,
candlesticks, and various images of their gods. Behind the
altar three which are
they suspend paper-hangings, upon
painted several tens of goddesses : among whom that of
'
6
mother a In a convenient
occupies conspicuous position.
part of the room is placed a table, having upon it rive, eight,
or ten of meats, vegetables, fruits, and cakes. After
plates
everything is properly arranged, one of the priests rings a bell
while his formulas ; another beats a drum
chanting ; another