Page 75 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

SYMBOLS, EMBLEMS, AND CHARMS. 43

of the in whose the
supposed guardianship sovereigns, reigns
coin was issued, may keep away ghosts and evil spirits."
561 : " Ancient coins are in use as
Doolittle, p. frequent
charms, suspended by a red string, or worn about the body,
or hung up on the outside of a bed-curtain." At p. 563 the
same writer a facsimile of a coin fitted with a knife-
gives
shaped appendage ; this, he states, was used as a charm. P.
"
457 : In ancient times some of the emperors coined cash in
the of a knife and other fanciful
shape shapes."
No. 35. Lozenge. Franks, p. 239 : " A lozenge-shaped
with a in the a variant
object, compartment upper side, perhaps
of that last described"
(No. 31).
The Chinese this is an ancient mirror made of
say polished
metal. These mirrors were sometimes of this sometimes
shape,
round.
" "
See also Mirror," under heading Emblems and Charms,"
and No. 232.
239 " Two
No. 36. Books. Franks, p. : oblong objects placed
close together, exactly alike, and probably representing books."
"
Middle Kingdom," vol. i. p. 83 : Books were suspended
with other charms in the pagoda at Nanking, to ward off evil
influences No.
(see 34).
Doolittle, p. 561 : " Some of the Chinese classics, as the
book of ' or the ' Great Instructer,' are as
Changes,' regarded
able to off evil when under the of the
keep spirits put pillow
or near in the He who is able to
sleeper, kept by library.
memoriter from these books when
repeat passages walking
alone need not fear the
spirits."
No. 37. Leaf. 239 : " A leaf of variable form,
Franks, p.
probably a leaf of the artemisia (ai yeh), an emblem of good
augury."
At the Chinese characters for the name
p. 29, Mayers gives
"
of a leaf, supposed to wield powers of exorcism over malig-
"
nant demons and at 284 : " Yu Sien, the
; p. designation proper
to a certain race of immortals, or who have eaten of the
genii,
leaves of a tree called KHen, which within the moon."
grows
It is seldom that the whole are to be found on one
eight
In the case of the herewith illustrations had to be
piece. they
collected here and there, which accounts for the ribbons not
all alike ; but this is rather an
being perhaps advantage, as it
shows some of the different of same.
ways arranging