Chinese Amulet Brings Good Luck

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1014, 3 July 1930, Page 13

Chinese Amulet Brings Good Luck

MADE 400 YEARS B.C. SUPERSTITIOUS ARCHAEOLOGY Everyone sneers at superstitinp J others, at the sarr.e time some particular form of superior of their own. Mr. Arthur Vogan. a notes! arclarloffist who passed through Auckk: on the Aorangx. confesses that he superstitious. He has travelled iar:' of-the-way places of the world aadcp°ricnced all sorts of he these have confirmed, rather ih: cured, his superstition. On his watch chain Mr. Vagan clries an ancient Chinese amulet, fiw ould rather lose all his worif* possessions than this exquisite piee?.’ Chinese jade, delicately marked r gold. It is old—very old. The Chinese u. it “Yo.” Often and often, when Mr. Yogaa bd been walking along a street fee ut been approached by Chinese who ta' fingered the amulet lovingly, woaderr how it came into the posaesriwtfi white nun. Jade was a colour highly thoagtl - by the ancient Chinese. It denote spring, growth, fecundity, the rod«* Ma. The amulet is in the fera 1 a sleeping butterfly and is exquiifer modelled. Perhaps th<> original nmulei W made by a disciple of Chnang Ft.* prophet-philosopher who flourished 2 China about 4"*j H.C. He is best kner by Tlxis little parable in a book t 1 his writings, which may have j *he artist to fashion the amulet:— I. Chuanp Ku, went to sleep ts other day and dreamed that I tlh butterfly—flying about ♦‘njoyiaf i self. Presently I woke and ** again Chuang Fu. But I did * know at first whether I had Chuang Fu dreaming he was a torfly or whether I was a butler' dreaming he was Chuang Fu. The amulet brings good luck tf 1 owner and makes wishes come trx But those wishes must be us*® ones or they will never be grantee. Years ago. when Mr. Vogan V doing archaeological work in )donin. he was given everv assis*® ;by the French Governor.* xis ; iency M. Ripiquet. It happened tltf two Chinese got into serious trotxWf ’ Noumea. Th- leading Chinese i*®Avent to Mr. Vogan and implored to get them out of the scrape. »* Vogan did so. Eighteen months later he r€ ‘ c *£ r the jade amulet. With it was * written in a mixture of Frencfc Chinese. This was later by Australia's best Chinese Mr. Whiting, of Lord Howe Islaodtold Mr. Vogan of the good luck would follow him if he treated - amulet with respect.