Fig. 106.—From Mrs. Burlingame’s Collection.
He has feet armed with claws, a great grinning face full of teeth, a curly mane, and might be supposed to be modeled, by an Oriental fancy, from the lion. Sometimes this creature has been described as a chimera.
The fong-hoang also is sometimes pictured. This is a strange and immortal bird, which descends from the regions of highest heaven to bless mankind. It bears a fleshy head, soft silky feathers about its neck, the body ending with a tail combining the feathers of the peacock and the argus pheasant.
In very early centuries this bird was the symbol of royalty.
Other symbolic and sacred creatures are often pictured, among them the kylin, which was believed to foretell good fortune.
“Its body is covered with scales; its branched head represents that of the dragon; its four delicate feet are terminated by cloven hoofs, resembling those of a stag; it is so gentle and benevolent, notwithstanding its formidable aspect, that it avoids, in its light step, to tread under foot the smallest worm.”[11]
The dragon, symbol there of empire and power, is thus described:
“It is the largest of reptiles with feet and scales; it can make itself dark or luminous, subtile and thin, or heavy and thick; can shorten or lengthen itself at pleasure. In the spring it rises to the skies, in the autumn it plunges into the water. There are the scaly dragon, the winged dragon, the horned and the hornless dragon, and the dragon rolled within itself, which has not yet taken its flight into the upper regions.”[12]