Chau Ju-Kua - University of Oregon Libraries

228 OPAQUE GLASS. — CAT'S-ETKS, 11,32-33
them down to a liquid state (•^ ^ l^^ ^ y4-), to which certain chemicals were added
''^'^^
(J!JB JM ^ ^)' ^''"'^* ^^^^^ manufactured) was, however, filled with air-holes
(lit., hollow l^)j and brittle, not the clear, true, genuine thing. Ts'i6n-Han-shu, 96A,n».
At an early date, but much later than that when the word liu-U first appeared, we find
another word in Chinese literature used to designate the ordinary, transparent glass. This word 5
po-U (^ J^ or J^^), and sometimes jpi-po-U (^ ^ ^), appears to have been copied
on the word liu-U a.n6.pi-Uu-li. So far as we can find out, the earliest record of the word is in the
dictionary called Yfl-pien '"^^'^^ (^ ^^)> dates from the fifth century A. D. It is there
explained as meaning «a precious stones (3£)- It seems possible that the word was coined in
the fifth century after the manufacture of glass had been introduced into China, and it had 10
become necessary to differentiate this common glass from the more valuable coloured and cut
kinds. It transcribes, in a contracted form, the Sanskrit word sphatika, one of the seven precious
substances (sapta ratna), and originally meamnjt rock-crystal. In Chinese Buddhist works
fpfttrW/ca is usually transcribed y'o-cfei-ftm (J^^ 5j[ ^p), but Hiian-tsang (Si-yu-ki, 8,25'', et
230ssim) uses the contracted from iJ0-c/i4 (^ J3^). ^
Chang Ytl6 (3M s^ seventh century A. D.) says in his Liang-ssi-kung-ki (^^ |7^
•^ nE) "'^^® '''S sea-going junks of Fu-nan that come from Western India sell mirrors
of pi-po-K (^ ^ 3^ ^) which are clear and transparent on the surface and
throughout their mass (pb ^K fe 'jM). Objects of all kinds placed before them are
reflected to the sight without one's seeing the mirror itself. These plates are a foot and a half 20
in diameter and weigh forty catties.» T'u-shu-tsi-ch'6ng, 32,227, Ki-shi, 4.
In A. D. 643 we read (T'ang-shu, 221B,i3») of a king of Fu-lin sending red (^) po-U
as a present to the Emperor of China. As late as 742, the same work (221^,7'") chronicles the
fact that a prince of Tokharestan sent «red pi-po-lia
(^J| ^ ^ 3^^ "^*"' glS'Sss or «red
transparent glasss) as a present to Court. 25
Ch6u K'ii-fei and our author both speak of the superior quality of the coloured and opaque
glass ware (liu-li) made in the countries of Islam, which was «cut into patterns)) or ctengravedi)
(^S -?£)> ^^^ annealed (4^)- Baghdad led in this industry, but Asia Minor, Ki-tz'i-ni (it
included probably Cabul, the Ki-pin of the Han period, whence liu-li was first brought to China),
and other places sent specimens of it to China which were greatly prized. 30
Transparent glass (po-U) is mentioned by Chau as a product of Ceylon and of the Coromandel
coast. It was perhaps from the former country that the Fu-nan traders, mentioned previously, got
the big glass mirrors they brought to China, for it appears, from what our author states, that
it was extensively used there for decorative purposes, and was probably made in sheets, or lenses,
as he speaks of glass screens which surrounded the throne of the king of Ceylon. 35
Glass beads of sundry colours and glass bottles (presumably very small ones for carrying
perfumes .or for such like purposes), both of opaque glass, were used as regular trade
articles in the dealings between the Chinese and Arab traders of the period and the natives of
Borneo and the Philippine islands. See supra, pp. 156, 162.
Edrisi is the only Arab writer we know of who mentions the manufacture of glass in 40
China; he says (I, 100) that at Djankon (Khanfu, Hang-ch6u) nthey worked in Chinese glass.))
33.
CAT'S-EYES m la Hft)-
Mau-'i/r-tsing are of the size of the end of the thumb, that is, they are
but small stones. They are brilliant, smooth, and transparent like the eyes of 45
a cat, for which reason they are called «cat's-eyes». They come from the
^^