Page 79 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

SYMBOLS, EMBLEMS, AND CHARMS. 47

566 " A small brass mirror, either flat or
Doolittle, p. :
concave, but always round, is very frequently hung up on
the outside of the bed-curtain, or suspended somewhere near
Its use is to counteract, prevent, or
by. principal dissipate
devilish or influences. It is supposed that evil
unpropitious
on to do harm, will be to see them-
spirits, approaching apt
selves reflected in the mirror, and, becoming frightened, will
betake themselves away without delay." On arrival of a
bride at her husband's home (p. 58), " a boy, six or eight years
in his hands a brass mirror, with the
old, holding reflecting
surface turned from him and toward the chair, also comes near,
and invites the bride to The mirror held by the lad
alight,
is to ward off all or influences which
expected deadly pernicious
"
may emanate from the sedan." P. 564 : Not unfrequently is
a concave mirror, made of brass and partially encased in wood,
hung up on a house in such a position (having its polished
surface outward) as to counteract or reflect the bad influences
which come from a in a neighbouring house
projecting point
or The Chinese believe such concave mirrors, if
temple. pro-
on their houses, will counteract all unfavourable
perly arranged
influences which from
proceed neighbouring buildings."
"
234 Ts'in A mirror which, accord-
Mayers, p. : King. magic
ing to tradition, was possessed by the sovereigns of Ts'in, and
which had the of the inward of those
property reflecting parts
who looked upon it, and revealing the seats of disease. . . .
When Kao Tsu, the founder of the Han dynasty, entered the
of Ts'in in B.C. 206, this valuable
capital trophy, suspended
high on the palace wall, fell into his hands."
Bamboo, Cock, and Mirror. — Doolittle, p. 109 : " When
one is very sick, the following method is adopted to prevent
the death of the sick man, and restore him to health. Several
of the Taoist sect are to their formulas
priests engaged repeat
in a temple for his benefit. At the house, or near it, another
ceremony is performed ; sometimes, however, that too is per-
formed in the temple. A bamboo, eight or ten feet long,
having fresh green leaves at its little end, is provided. Near
this end there is often fastened a white cock. One end of a red
cord is tied around the centre of a two-foot measure, and the
other end is made fast around the bamboo, among the green
leaves. A coat belonging to the sick man, and very recently