Page 110 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

7S CHINESE PORCELAIN.

children from evil and and in-
spirits unhealthy malignant
fluences. The calls the children of the
paterfamilias family
He takes the one which cannot walk, or which
together. is
sick, in his arms ; and the other children, if any, each take a
stick of incense in their hands. The
single lighted priest
after a while blows his horn, and advances slowly through the
door. He is followed by the paterfamilias, or his represen-
tative, and all the children of the family, who thus pass
through the door. All the other priests are at this time
doing something to aid, as beating the drum and clapping
their The head brandishes the sword in the
cymbals. priest
air, or in its place he sometimes flourishes a whip made in
the shape of a snake, as though he was striking an invisible
The door is afterwards burnt.
object."
"While performing this ceremony a small wooden image
a foot high, more or less, is invariably used to represent the
child for whose special benefit it is celebrated. When not
used, it is carefully preserved. Oftentimes it is placed by the
'
'
side of mother's image in the bedroom. After the ceremony
'
of ' out of childhood has been performed, it is often
going
used as a plaything by the children of the family."
This latter ceremony is very like the previous one, and
takes place when the child is about sixteen years old.
Tripod Incense Burners of endless variety often appear
along with the other symbols, and are sometimes accompanied
with jars very similar in shape to Nos. 72-74. These are for
holding the incense ; the spoon, of which the handle shows, is
for lifting the same into the burner (see also No. 232).

FABULOUS AND OTHER ANIMALS.

Fabulous Animals.
" "
Middle 265 There are four fabu-
Kingdom," vol. i. p. :
lous animals of the Chinese.
spoken by The unicorn, or hi-lin,
is one of these, and is at the head of all animals
placed hairy ;
as the or the
fung-hivang, phcenix, is pre-eminent among
; the dragon among scaly
feathered races and tortoise the and