Ball juggling, fire spitting, handstands and other baixi acts seen on Han pictorial stones

Introduction

Zhang Heng's Ode to the Western Capital names acts such as tripod lifting, pole climbing, ball and sword juggling, rope walking, and swallowing knives and spitting fire. On Han pictorial stones from Nanyang in Henan, deep-eyed, high-nosed foreigners are often shown performing ball juggling, fire spitting, and handstands.