CHINESE IDEAS OF ANTIQUES, 



COPPER WARE 



REV. J. HUTSON 



The veneration of things ancient is the same the whole 

 world over. Among the Chinese, even the poor and illiterate 

 are pleased when they are told that a certain article is of 

 ancient origin. Chinese ideals and tastes seem to have had 

 there origin in the ' ' Spring and Autumn Classic ' ' period ; 

 and are therefore of decided antiquity. The articles most 

 highly prized by the Chinese connoisseur are those which 

 date from, the Hsia, Shang, Cheo period; (JCMISl); com- 

 monly known as the San Tai (H ft). The articles which 

 rank next in value are those dating from the Ts'in Han 

 (III 95) periods. A third and inferior class is made up of 

 articles dating from the T'ang and Sung (M 5R) periods. 

 Chinese antiquarians judge all antiques by the above three 

 standards; and no matter whether they are copper, porce- 

 lain, paintings, or penmanship, this is the test applied to 

 them. Chinese history records the fact, that the state of 

 Kao («P) greatly prized the tripod (Jft) which it was forced to 

 transfer to the keeping of the State of Sung ($Jc) 



The State of Lu (©) gained possession of a tripod, 

 which belonged to Wu Sheo Meng (ft Hi 8>) of the State of 

 Wu (ft) by bribing the statesman Hsuin Yin (?Bf M) of the 

 State of Chin (1?). This state presented two square urns 

 to Tsi Ch'an (■?* M) which originally belonged to the State 

 of Ch'u (K). After a period of feudal strife between the 

 states of Ts'i and Chin (5ft if), the state of Ts'i gave a 

 jade bell and a sacrificial caldron as a peace offering to the 

 State of Chin, (these articles, however, originally belonged to 

 the state of Ki (IE)"). The State of Hsu (f£) presented a 

 caldron to Ts'i (5ft) as an offering of peace. This caldron 

 was originally the property of Kiah Fu (W f£). The state of 

 Cheng (SB) bought over Chin (W) by the gift of a bell, after 

 the pattern of the Siang Chong (S fit). The State of Wei 



