CHINESE ART.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 280, 19 August 1908, Page 4

CHINESE ART.

■ . ■■■> AN ANCIENT BANNER. A very interesting Chinese work of art lent by Mr.. N. Thorns, js nmy, bition-in-tho'-Chinese'Churchi-iWallceriStreet, Dunedin. In the year 1814 the East India Company.sent Mr.-Thoms's grandfather (Mr. P. P. .Thorns) id Canton. to. -grept Anglo-Chineso ' dictionary then : bein«' jCoinpiled by the Rev,. .Ri}b<:rt. Morrison,, tho Prpt-cistant missionary to China. Sir. .Th6jns (says tho "Otago ijiiado the first Chinese fonts of movablo metal types, which woro; usbd" f6r r ovof 20 5 •rforks,'including the Dictional-y and'tatife'-Biblefbefbro they were 'destroye'd by' firo-'in"'lßa6.- 'To Mr. Thorns belongs also tho distinction of having turned longest poem. ("The Flower Petal") as ii'ct translated." tJiiring the first, war - between Britain and .China (1841 to 1843 V a sailor looted from, a man-darin's-palace a' beautiful presentation banner. Afterwards this sailor became involved in a riot.- and owed his life to the intervention of Robert, Morrison's printer, .. Out of gratitude he gave tho banner to Mr; Thorns. It is this barinej which is on exhibition. Tho size is D3in! by 78in., tho face of dark blue satin,'and the'back-'of velvet.- The inscription and signatures aro worked in gold lace —the former in characters ljin. square and tho latter in iin. characters." The banner was presented .'on? his' birthday to the Namhoi, district, .magistrate, (prefect).-, by "the scholars nncl people of every .street bntsifln the Great" Peace' 'Gato of" Canton City." The laudatory oliarncters, and there;are-776 signatures,-most of these consisting'of three characters—ono for surname and : two for the' all." 2307 characters. , . The date of the'presentation is "A lucky. clKy. beginning .of' niiturnu. 45th year of the TCmpcror Kang-Hi," which, was the year. 1-70G-'X:d.—2o2 years ago. ,• - , ■ ;! f'r ■