12 Introduction. 



engraved with inscriptions in general nor with these particular in- 

 scriptions, as also the kuei of the Chou dynasty were never provided 

 with them. Curiously enough, the number of Yii tablets is four, and 

 the same number applies to the Shang tablets; there is also numerical 

 systematization in forgery. 



The Chinese epigraphists have justly passed these inscriptions over 

 with silence, and I am not aware that any one of the numerous 

 Chinese works on inscriptions and ancient characters has ever availed 

 itself of the services of the Ku yii Vu p'u. It is unnecessary to con- 

 tinue this criticism, as we shall have ample occasion to come back to 

 this work in dealing with the single types of ancient jades. While it 

 is entirely untrustworthy for archaeological studies, it has a certain 

 value in presenting a grammar of ornaments and giving the names for 

 these, as they were current in the Sung period. We shall see in the 

 course of this investigation that many of these designs are strongly 

 influenced or even directly created by the pictorial style of the Sung 

 artists, and that they represent a more interesting contribution to 

 the art of the Sung than to any former period. 



This case will also sufficiently show how much criticism is required 

 for judging a Chinese illustration of an ancient art -work, which should 

 not be utilized before its sources and merits are critically examined and 

 ascertained. Also he only can use it who has seen and handled actual 

 specimens of an identical or similar type; the imperfection and inac- 

 curacy of Chinese drawings will always lead astray one who- has missed 

 those opportunities. The favorite method of culling engravings of 

 bronzes from Chinese books and building far-reaching conclusions on 

 this material as to the development of ornamentation cannot be 

 accepted and will always lead to grave disappointments in the end. 



4. Tsi ku yii Vu, "Collection of Ancient Jades with Illustrations, " 

 a small work published in 1341 during the Yuan period. In all prob- 

 ability, this book is now lost; it is quoted occasionally in the San ts'ai 

 Vu hui, published in 1607. 



5. The most recent and valuable Chinese contribution to the 

 study of antique jades is entitled Ku yii Vu k'ao, "Investigations into 

 Ancient Jades with Illustrations," in two quarto-volumes published 

 in 1889 by the well known scholar and statesman, Wu Ta-ch'&ng, 1 

 who was born in Su-chou in 1833. He graduated as tsin shih in 1868 

 and became a member of the Han-lin College. In 1884 he went to 

 Corea as Commissioner, then served as Governor of Kuang-tung 

 Province and, appointed subsequently Governor of Hunan, made a 

 vain attempt to introduce the telegraph there. In 1894 he was ordered 



1 His other works are enumerated by Paul Pelliot, T'oung Pao, 191 1, p. 448. 



