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Ch. 2: Pearl History

Ch. 2: Pearl History Page of 341 Ch. 2: Pearl History Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
China.
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Pearls are still very highly prized among the Chinese, The Emperor wears upon his cap, three golden dragons, embroidered and crowned with Pearls. Pearl buttons decorate the caps of the Mandarins and denote their rank. Chinese ladies are par­ticularly fond of Pearl-embroidered shoes, in which to encase their tiny feet. In the sacking of the Summer Palace, or Yuen-Min-Yuen in i860, the Allied forces found treasures of exquisitely carved jade, gold and silver, Pearls, precious jewels of jade and rubies, carved lapis-lazuli, priceless furs and the richest silks ; such treasures indeed as could only have been accumulated by a long dynasty of Celestial rulers. The French taking advantage of a circuitous approach, at once proceeded to sack the palace ere the British soldiers guessed their intention. Consequently when the latter were allowed to join in the work of devastation and indiscriminate plunder, all the most obviously valuable treasures had already been removed, while the floors were strewn knee-deep with broken fragments of price­less china, and every sort of beautiful object, too cumbersome or too fragile for rough-and-ready removal, and therefore ruthlessly smashed with the butt ends of muskets. From 100 to 150 of the large Pearls were brought to England, their average weight being about 35 grains each—but they were of a yellowish hue, and were spoiled by having
Ch. 2: Pearl History Page of 341 Ch. 2: Pearl History
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