Page 278 - Chinese Art, Vol II By Stephen W. Bushell

8o CHINESE ART.

palace use. The bottom of the basin is filled with a pair of imperial
phoenixes flying through sprays of Moutan peonies which fill in
the rest of the medallions ; the fluted sides and broad foliated rim,
outside as well as inside, are panelled with dragon scrolls, coloured
alternately dark blue and green on a turquoise ground.
The graceful vase in Fig. 89 is also apparently a Ming piece, dating,
perhaps, from the reign of Wan Li. The bottom, richly gilt, is
engraved with a pair of crossed vajra thunderbolts, or iorjh, in-
closing a triune symbol, indicating its canonical use in a Lama
temple. The gilded bronze dragon posed on the shoulder, and
loosely coiled round the neck of the vase is powerfully designed,
while the fret bands which define the coloured decoration are very
delicately engraved. The floral scrolls are enamelled in the usual
colours relieved by a ground of sky-blue tone.
The remaining four pieces of cloisonne enamel which follow are
referred to the present dynasty, and are all, doubtless, productions
of the palace workshops of Peking. Fig. 90 is an incense- burner
with hieratic designs of varied origin interwoven with floral scrolls
to form a conventional decoration of singular beauty, inlaid in
shaded greens and whites tipped with pink, on blue and black
grounds. The handles of gilded copper are shaped in the form of
gariidas, the broad openwork band round the cover is composed of
interlacing dragons, and its knob simulates a lotus poi perforated
at the top with seven holes for the seeds, which are movable
studs of gilded bronze. The borders and projecting ridges are
lightly incised with bands of fret, suggestive of clouds, and the eyes
of the t'ao-t'ieh ogre peer out in the midst of the floral bands.
An elephant with a vase on its back appears in Fig. qi, intended
originally to be posed on a Buddhist altar, as a sacred animal of the
law. The elephant is mottk'd white, the vase, saddle, brocaded
saddle-cloth, and the harness hung with tasselled strings of jewels
are inlaid with colours.
The strange-looking object in Fig. 92, which looks at first sight