Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume 32

original: "Sancai Tuhui"; a renowned pictorial encyclopedia from the Ming Dynasty.
Humanity, Volume 12

The Kingdom of Siam

The Kingdom of Siam is situated along the coast. It is their custom that men, from a young age, have their male organs original: "yangwu" incised to insert "eight treasures" original: "qian babao"; this refers to the historical practice of inserting decorative beads or small bells—often made of gold, silver, or pearls—beneath the skin, a custom documented by several Ming dynasty travelers in Southeast Asia. This is performed as a means to display wealth and prestige; if a man does not undergo this procedure, no woman’s family will accept him as a husband.

Recently, a seafaring traveler on his way to Siam stopped at an island where the mountains were entirely covered with what appeared to be black-lacquered spoons and chopsticks original: "chi jin". The area was filled with massive trees. Looking up, the traveler realized that these "spoons and chopsticks" were actually the flowers and stamens of the trees.

He gathered over a hundred pairs of these natural implements to take back with him. In practical use, they were remarkably resistant to grime; even animal fat and grease could not stain them. However, on one occasion, he happened to use one to stir his tea, and it immediately dissolved away into the liquid.