Feb., 1912. Jade. 117 



piled one above the other and thus reached a total thickness of five 

 inches equalling their width. The whole package was protected on 

 the upper and lower face by a jade slab two inches thick and as long 

 and wide as the inscribed tablets. A golden cord was fastened five 

 times around and held by a seal placed in a notch. Thus, the package 

 was laid in a box of jade in which it fitted exactly, and the box was 

 introduced into a stone coffer. 1 



Dr. Bushell informs us that the first sovereign of the Han dynasty, 

 the Emperor Kao-tsu (b. c. 206-195), announced his accession to the 

 throne by sacrificing to Heaven on a jade tablet engraved with one 

 hundred and seventy characters. The jade was of a bright white color 

 spotted and with moss-markings, shining in colors of red, blue, vermilion, 

 and black. The writing was in the li shu of the Han, and the style was 

 clear and strong. 



The question of varicolored jade was brought on the tapis when the 

 Emperor Kuang-wu (25-57 A - D -) made his preparations for the sac- 

 rifices on the T'ai-shan and gave instructions to search for a blue stone 

 without blemish, but it should not be necessary to have varicolored 

 stones. 2 At this time when the seal-makers were not capable of engrav- 

 ing the jade tablets, the emperor decided to avail himself of red varnish 

 to write on the slabs; but this plan was not carried out, as a man was 

 found, able to do the work of engraving. We here notice an important 

 difference between the ancient writing-tablets and these sacrificial 

 tablets of jade; the former were memoranda to be inscribed only; in 

 the latter, the writing had to be carved as a permanent document. 

 Probably for this reason, the engraved characters under the T'ang 

 dynasty were incrusted with gold. 3 In a decree of the Emperor T'ai- 

 tsung (627-649 a. d.) the reasons for the employment of jade tablets 

 as the essential feature in these ceremonies are accounted for by the 

 firmness and solidity of the material, its density and perfect supernatural 

 qualities "which are transmitted indefinitely, for ever preserved and 

 unalterable." 4 



These tablets, therefore, do not present a continuation of the 

 writing-tablets hu, but are developed, as observed also by Chavannes, 5 

 from the ancient bamboo slips or wooden splints which served as 

 writing-material before the invention of paper. These were inscribed 

 with only one line of writing by means of a bamboo stylus dipped into 

 black varnish, and fastened together with a silk cord or leather strip 



According to the investigations of Chavannes, Le T'ai Chan, pp. 22 et seq., 

 where also three Chinese illustrations and a description of the stone coffer will be 

 found. 



2 Chavannes, /. c, pp. 162, 163. 3 Ibid., p. 226. 



4 Ibid., p. 173. h L. c, p. 174, Note. 



