252 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. X. 



of jade have never existed in this form, but are just imaginary sketches. 

 This one case may suffice for all. The text has it: "I have formerly 

 seen a painting by Li Kung-lin representing Huang-ti, how he asked 

 for the road on the mountain K'ung-t'ung (Huang-ti K'ung-t'ung wen 

 tao t'u), 1 and the cap worn by Huang-ti on this painting is identical with 

 the present one here illustrated." This confession warrants the sus- 

 picion that this cap is simply 

 drawn from Li's painting of 

 Huang-ti. The Ku yii Vu p'u 

 was compiled between 1174- 

 11 89; Li Kung-lin or Li Lung- 

 mien died in 1106 (Giles, 

 Introduction etc., p. 108), and 

 in the collection of the imper- 

 ial house of Sung one hundred 

 and seven of his works were 

 preserved. In the Siian ho 

 hua p'u (Ch. 7), the descriptive 

 catalogue of this collection, 

 the title of the picture in ques- 

 tion is not given ; it may have 

 been one in a series. 



Another question would be 

 how far Li Kung-lin was able 

 to represent faithfully the cap 

 of the ancient Huang-ti, whether he followed some tradition or was 

 merely guided by imagination. We know that he had a faible for 

 antiquities, and that he well understood how to decipher antique 

 inscriptions (Chavannes, T'oung Pao, 1904, p. 496). So he may be 

 credited, at least, with the earnest intention of aspiring after historical 

 truth to the best of his knowledge, though we may justly doubt that 

 he was in possession of any palpable authentic material to serve him 

 as a correct standard. At all events, this crude sketch is interesting 

 as a scrap from the workshop of that great artist. 



The Chou li (Biot, Vol. I, p. 167) mentions the office of the jeweller 2 

 at the court of the Chou dynasty; he was in charge of all the head-orna- 

 ments used by the empress : he made the bonnets worn by her, when she 

 accompanied the emperor on the occasions of sacrifices, and the wigs 



1 Compare Chavannes, Se-ma Ts'ien, Vol. I, p. 30. 



% Tut (Giles No. 2801) shih, which means as much as carver or engraver of 

 jade, the explanation usually adopted. But the commentator Cheng Se-nung inter- 

 prets the word (in this case read chui) as the designation of a head-dress (kuan), 

 which seems to be quite appropriate with the functions of this office. 



Fig. 158. 

 Jade Bonnet-Pendants worn by the Empress. 



