II. JADE SYMBOLS OF SOVEREIGN POWER 



Among the numerous offices of the Chou dynasty (b. c. 1122-255) 

 there was a steward of the treasury (t'ien fu) charged with the superin- 

 tendence and preservation of the Hall of the Ancestor (Hou-tsi) of the 

 imperial house, in which all precious objects transmitted from generation 

 to generation were hoarded. He was responsible for the regulations 

 governing the treasury and took care of the emblems of jade and all 

 valuables belonging to the dynastic family. On the occasion of the 

 celebration of a great sacrifice or of a great funeral service, he brought 

 the desired objects out to the place of ceremony, and at the termination 

 of the rites, locked them up again (Biot, Vol. I, p. 480). In the begin- 

 ning of the spring, he sprinkled with the blood of the victims the 

 precious objects and the jewels of the imperial costume. At the end 

 of the winter, he arranged the pieces of jade used in the ceremony which 

 was observed to determine whether a favorable or unfavorable new 

 year would ensue (Ibid., p. 482). In case the emperor transferred his 

 residence and his treasury, he handed all valuables over to the chief 

 of the office in the new place (p. 483). 



There were, further, at the court of the Chou dynasty, special 

 artisans to execute works in jade (yii jen, "jade men"), in particular 

 the official insignia of jade the care of which was placed in the hands 

 of an officer, called Tien-jui (Biot, Vol. II, p. 519; Vol. I, p. 483). 

 Jui is the general name for the jade tablets conferred by the emperor 

 on the five classes of feudal princes (wu jui) as a mark of investiture 

 and a symbol of their rank, and held by them in their hands, when they 

 had audience in court. The tien-jui official was obliged to distinguish 

 their kinds and names, and to define the ceremonies where they come 

 into action. There were four great audiences, one in each season, and 

 occasional and combined visits of the fief -holders. 



Different from this office is that of the yii fu (Biot, Vol. I, p. 124). 

 The tien jui was a master of ceremonies in direct connection with the 

 rites in which the treasures in his charge were involved, and taking an 

 active part in the proceedings. The yii fu, however, was an executive 

 official in superintendence of the manufacture of jades and other 

 valuable objects touching on the ceremonial life of the imperial family. 

 The sphere of his competency is not clearly defined from that of the 

 nei-fu who received all precious objects offered to the emperor by the 

 great dignitaries like gold, jade, ivory, furs, weapons, etc., a duty 



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