Page 68 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

CHINESE PORCELAIN.
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cup of which is sometimes filled with flowers, sometimes with
peaches.
These will be found in a on the No.
symbols group plate
379.
The Buddhist
Eight Sijmuols.
No. 22. Jar. 240 : " A vase with cover Kwan"
Franks, p.
Davis, vol. ii. p. 83 : " Temple containing a very well-
executed monument, of a vase-like shape and gigantic dimen-
sions, carved in white alabaster, or gypsum, and sacred to the
relics (called shaij-ly) of Budha." Speaking in another part of
the same temple : " Containing besides a mausoleum, where are
seen a number of in which are the ashes of the
jars, deposited
after their bodies have been burned."
priests
No. 23, Umbrella. Franks, p. 240 : " A state umbrella
intended for the Wan-min-san. The umbrella
(san), possibly
of ten thousand which is to a Mandarin on
people, presented
his his district, as a token of the of his
leaving purity
administration."
Davis, "Escort of Mandarin," vol. i. p. 298 : " The cortege
is made up by the servants and other followers, some of whom
red umbrellas of
carry dignity."
" "
Doolittle, Procession in Honour of Spring," p. 376 : If
they have any umbrellas of state, or garments, which have
been received as presents from ' ten thousand of the people,'
as tokens of their confidence and love, they are sometimes
"
brought forth and carried in this procession." P. 237 : The
rank of some officers may be ascertained by observing the
colour and the number of flounces on the umbrellas which
are carried before them."
No. 24. Lotus flower (leen hwa). This is the sacred flower
of the Buddhists, and is referred to later on under the
heading
for flowers. It is generally so conventionalized in the drawing
that it often looks, as Sir A. W. Franks '-'more like a
says,
peony, or any other flower." It differs from the other symbols
in that it is sometimes represented with and sometimes without
fillets when along with the others.
These eight Buddhist symbols have been copied from the
incense burner No. 397, and it will be noticed that, as shown
in No. 24, the lotus has a fillet, as is the case on a similar