TOMB LOOTED

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1929, Page 7

TOMB LOOTED

AN EMPRESS OF CHINA

BURIED IN GEMS

WEALTH IN A COFFIN

For tlie first time in listory there lias been published a list of the magnificent and almost priceless jewels which for centuries, it has been the custom to bury with the body of deeeasdod Chinese rulers, and this list shows that the ghouls who violated the tomb of the 'Dowager Empress Tzu 11 si last June must have secured plunder valuable enough to pay off all of China’s debts.

Always heretofore the lists of jewels and precious objects included in the tombs of deceased mouthers of China’s imperial dynasties have been kept as Slate secrets, for never lie fore has a tomb been* violated, writes Hollett Abend, Pekin correspondent of the “New York Times.” But last summer’s robbng of the tomb of Tzu Ilsi and other members of the ousted Manehu dynasty has brought to light a list of jewels which proves that not even the Egyptian Pharoahs were buried with more magnificesce. If the filing and Man elm tombs, grouped in two valleys within a short radius of Pekin all contain treasures comparable to those interred with the famous Dowager Empress of Boxer days, then China imperial sepulchres hold the most mag. nifieient collection of jewels in the world.

The list of the jewels put into the cofiin of Tzu Hsi, who died about twenty years ago, has been made public hero by Li Ying-chou, the nephew a,lid heir of Li Lien-ying, who, as the favourite eunuch of the famous woman became one of the richest men of bis time.

Li Lien-ying assisted at the rites of preparing the body of the Dowager Empress for burial, and was present from the sealing of the eoflin until the sealing of the tomb. He left a diary giving a detailed inventory of the contents of the imperial casket. This diary, invested of Oriental phraseology, reads in translation appioximatoly as follows: Before the Empress Dowager was laid in her coffin, the bottom was spread with a mattress of gold thread seven inches thick in which was woven an embroidery of pearls. On top of the mattress was laid a silk embroidered coverlet which was strewn with pearls. In the pearl layer was a lace sheet of pearls, into which was woven a figure of Buddha. Sprinkled over this sheet and through the interstices of the gold-thread mattress were 10.500 seed pearls, rubies and sapphires, each to the weight of four cliien; (a trifle more than half an ounce), G 7 hyacinths, 203 small emeralds and 20 pieces of white jade. At the head there was placed a jade ornament duplicating the large leaves of the lotus, and at the foot a similar ornament, life sized, duplicating m apple green jade the lotus blossom. These were arranged in their places and then the body was lifted into the coffin, the head of the Dowager Empress resting on the jade lotus leaves and her feet resting on the lotus How-

0F She was dressed in a ceremonial robe on which pearls were embroidered with gold thread, and over that she wore an embroidered jacket with a rob oof pearls encircling the body nine times to keep the garments in place. EMERALD OF FABULOUS VALUE, "in her hands she held a lotus flower curved from one large emerald and this weighed a little more than 3G ounces. (A stone of this size, if of good quality, would ho worth approximately C7OO an ounce, without including the value of the carving. There was also on her breast a mirror set with 800 pearls and 35 rubies and sapphires. Eighteen small images of 'Buddha, all encrusted ith pearls, wore held in her arms. Those were all gifts of private individuals, and did not include the official list of gifts. The private funeral gifts having bee so disposed, the body was covcied with a sacred Tolo pall, on which were written nrayers in the Hanclm

Sfiipt. A chaplet of pearls was placed upon llu> head, and on either side of the ibody over the pal! were disposed 108 jrold and carved pern Buddhas. On the right and left sides of the IVct were placed one watermelon and Iwo sweet mellons of jade and penis, n „d there were also jewel-encrusted ,rolcl fruits imitating peaches, pears apricots, and dates —these last to the number ol 200. At. the last moment a Mancha princess entered the room and placed by the body eight figures of galloping horses, all carved from rabies, and eighteen Buddhist lmhan, all jewel encrusted. LITKR ALLY Bl'lMKf> IN dT'7WET/S. The interstices were then sprinkled with seed pearls, carved jades and small rubies, emeralds and sapphires nnl.il all was level, then was spread a network covering ol woven pearls and finally the inner lid of the casket was fixed into place and officially edWhen this treasure-crammed coffin was placed in the mausoleum it- wn.* guarded on either side by ‘27 carved gold Buddhas, each weighing eight ounces, and 2 1 Buddhas carved iiom gems, each weighing six ounces. The diary contains no list of the contents of tin* large burial chamhei in which the coffin was finally deposited but it is known Hint this immense room was crowded with costly offerings —golden figures, carved jades and gem encrusted objects of oxquisito workmanship and rare beauty.

All of this tremendous treasure has now been looted and scattered. A few .pearls and jades, to tlie value of about 4,000,(100 Mexican dollars (approximately £400,000) have been recovered from individual soldiers or military officers who participated in the looting and several curio and jade dealers here and in Tientsin have voluntarily given up to the authorities jewels which they admitted having purchased from the ghouls. Never before in the history of China lias an Imperial tomb when violated, though these tombs have been known to hold incalculable riches.