126 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT
single
piece of ivory. Age has imparted to it a fine yellow tone with some
brownish oval spots, perhaps from handling; the shoes are coloured
brown and the hair has a coating of black lacquer. This figure came, in
1850, into the possession of the oldest German resident of Yokohama,
and was presented by his successor to Dr. Berthold Laufer. According
to well-informed Chinese—with whose opinion Doctor Lauf er inclines to
agree—the women of the better class used such figures in former times
to indicate to a physician the vseat of their ailment. As the doctor
was not permitted to see a woman of this class she would thrust her
hand through a curtain opening so that he could feel her pulse, and
would then lay her finger upon that part of the ivory figure which
corresponded with the part of her own body that was affected. Similar
figures of wood, and in former days of bronze also, have been used in
China in the study of acupuncture.*
The
lot of the Chinese ivory carver of Canton does not seem to be a very
enviable one from a financial standpoint. During the term of his
apprenticeship, which lasts four years, his master, besides supplying
him with two meals a day— probably rather meagre repasts—gives him as "
shoe money" $4 in Canton silver at the expiration of the first year, $5
at the end of the second year, $6 at the end of the third year, and $7
at the termination of the fourth and last year of the apprenticeship.
These small figures must, however, be reduced 50 per cent, to get the
equivalent in our money. After this, the ivory carver receives from his
employer from $7 to $8 each month ($3.50 to $4 of our money) in
addition to the two daily meals. We need feel little surprise that
expert carvers should wish to earn something more, and as a general
rule they prefer to work for themselves in their own houses, and are
then able to earn as much as $30 Canton silver ($15 of our money) in a
month.
Communication of Prof. Berthold Laufer.
