Feb., 191 2. Jade. 273 



book, and further, expose the psychological motive by which those 

 Sung artists have been guided in perpetuating their own productions to 

 posterity under the disguise of a pretended collection of ancient jades. 

 By the systematization prevailing in this book, I mean to say that 

 every class of objects is quasi conjugated according to a definite scheme, 

 that the same series of motives occurs again in every series of types and 

 is accordingly badgered through every chapter. 



We could but reluctantly yield to the assumption that it was ever 

 possible to gather such a seemingly complete collection, so fully repre- 

 sentative of each and every variant. It is too beautiful, too obtrusive- 

 ly complete to deserve full credence. It is more credible and plausible 

 that in the same way, as in the court-atelier (shang fang) of the Sung 

 emperors the bronze vessels of the Shang and Chou dynasties were 

 reproduced, 1 as the Sung painters imitated the style of the T'ang 

 masters, the ancient works of jade were revived in new forms and with 

 motives partially modified under the suggestive influence of this general 

 renaissance movement in art. And therein the whole secret of the Ku 

 yii Vu p'u may be regarded as unveiled. It is, to a large extent, a col- 

 lection of art -motives, a grammar of ornaments, characteristic of the 

 national awakening of art in the Sung period. Therein lies its impor- 

 tance, but there, also its value ends; it is not a safe guide for the study 

 of jade antiquities. 



1 Still known to the Chinese under the terse label Shang fang tso ti ' ' Made in the 

 imperial atelier." There are many beautiful bronze specimens of this class in our 

 collection, many of them being not only just as good, but even better than the 

 ancient models. 



