A TREASURE OF ANCIENT CHINESE BRONZES 



Ihl /•:. r. /)'. h'a.s.srtl 



IN I'.KII. Ml', .lacol) 11. SchilV dimMlcd fmids to tlic Aiiici-icaii Mnsciiiii 

 tor making invcstijiatioiis and collections in ( liina, the adminis- 

 tration of these funds heinji' entrusted to a committee ortjanized imder 

 tli( auspices of the Museum with the late Morris 1\. .lesup as chairman. 



The work was placed in the hands of Dr. Herthold Laufer, who had just 

 completed work as a meniher of the .lesiip North I'aciHc Ivxpedition to 

 Eastern SiKeria. Dr. Laufer spent the three years from 1001 to litOl in 

 ( hina am! the collection thus oWtained is now in the Museum's ( hinese 

 Hall in the west win<;- of the huildinj;-, 

 wiiile a letter recently received from 

 Dr. Laufer, calls attention to its j^nvatly 

 increased value. He says in fact that 

 after a diligent search in < hina he has 

 been unable to make anotlu-r collection 

 of equal importance. His studies of this 

 collection of bronzes appeared in MIOO in 

 a report of the East Asiatic Committee 

 of the Jacob H. Schiff Chinese Expedi- 

 tion.' This was published in Leyden 

 because of the facilities there alVorrled 

 in the way of Chinese type. 



Among the specimens in the ( hinese 

 Hall there are two absolutely unicpie 

 collections, the ancient Chinese bronzes 

 and certain mortuary pottery of the Han 

 period. Becau.se of their relation to 

 each other antl to modern art, they have 

 much the same interpretative value to 

 East Asiatic study that the pre-Homeric 

 or Minoan collections have to (ireek 

 art. 



The history of China has charm be- 

 causeof its anticpiity, its unparalleled con- 

 tinuitv and the sur\i\al of its culture. 



THE OLDEST AMONG THE MUSEUMS 

 CHINESE BRONZES 



Hroii/.c libation cup used in ancestor 

 worship Sluinti Dynasty (1TG(>-1122 

 n. C\). Tliis bronze ve.sst'l must liavo 

 tal<en it.s ri.sc lonp before historical 

 times, since allusions to it in Clonfiiciu.s 

 arc referred to the times of loRendary 

 emperors 



' Chinese P{)TTF.uY ok the Han Uvn.\.>»ty. By Bcrthold Laufer. Pulilished h\- K. J. 

 Brill. Leyden. 1*100. I?oi)ort of the Kast Asiatic Committoo of the .Jacob H. Schilf Chinese 

 Expedition. 



59 



