Page 319 - Chinese Art, Vol II By Stephen W. Bushell

JEWELLERY. 9±

the court at Peking. The head-dress in Fig. io8 has a black lattice-
work foundation in silk-covered wire and foliated strips of satin,
mounted with a curved front and flat crown to which are attached
openwork bands and medallions of gilt metal overlaid with kingfisher
feathers, and enriched with emerald green jadeite, amethyst, amber,
and other stones, coral and artificial pearls ; the bands and
medallions are worked, with fihgree, in the form of bats and of
peaches and peach blossoms projected from a leafy background
by means of wire. The " cap of state," illustrated in Fig. 109,
which came out of the Summer Palace at Yuan Ming Yuan in i860,
is made of silver-gilt open-work, with figures of Taoist immortals,
flowers, butterflies, and other insects, inlaid with blue feathers and
hung on wires, strewn irregularly with pearls and coral beads, and
has hanging strings of pearls attached.
A jewelled vase of curious form and design is illustrated in Fig.
no, to conclude this short chapter of Chinese craftmanship. It
is silver-gilt, cased with filigree, ornamented with imitation gems.
and panelled with clusters of flowers inlaid with vitrifiable enamel.
The upper part of the vase is constructed to open and close like
the petals of a lotus blossom, the tazza-like foot is chased and
ribbed. It is intended probably to hold flowers of the Olca jrdgrans
or jasmine, which the Chinese are wont to put on the table to scent
the room withal. Small openwork cases of fine workmanship
are made in gold and silver to wear on the girdle, filled with fragrant
flowers of the same kind, or with a scented sachet put inside when
fresh flowers are not available.

8941 2 M 2