Jade Bibliography
Explore books, articles and historical sources on jade in Four Treasures, the Lotus Gemology reference database. This bibliography brings together matching records from the collection, with publication details, abstracts and cover images where available.
Jade References
The list below matches the terms jade, jadeite, nephrite or Fei Cui in the database's searchable fields. Some references discuss these materials as part of a broader subject.
Catalogue of the Collection of Jewels and Precious Works of Art, the Property of J. Pierpont Morgan
Book
Williamson, G.C. (1910) Catalogue of the Collection of Jewels and Precious Works of Art, the Property of J. Pierpont Morgan. London, Chiswick Press, 183 pp.
Record No. 28812 | Sinkankas/Born No.: 7243–7245; NIB | not seen
Sinkankas: This very large, beautiful, and superbly produced book was manufactured from the finest materials as befitted the tastes and the pocketbook of J. Pierpont Morgan, and provides one of the finest collection catalogs of all time. Even more lavish is the de luxe version described below. The depicted and described objects fall into the following classes: jewels, portraits in wax, carved woodwork, rock crystal and glass, gold and silver plate, and others made from various precious materials, and the precious objects of Prince’s Gate. The gemologist will find the section containing rock crystal carvings and containers the most interesting for its discourses on the nature and occurrences of rock crystal, and the artisans responsible for the execution of a considerable number of the larger vessels and other objects made from quartz. The section on miscellaneous objects made from precious materials also contains interesting matter on gemstone objects made from cryptocrystalline quartzes, and also a sole example of carved jade. Elsewhere objects are made in part from pearl, nacre, amber, diamond, emerald, corundum, peridot, topaz, turquoise, etc. John Pierpont Morgan: b. Hartford, Conn., 1837; educated in Switzerland & Germany; entered the financial field 1856; formed own company 1895; formed United States Steel Corporation 1901. Eminent art collector, rare book collector, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; benefactor of this and the American Museum of Natural History (Morgan Collection of Gems); d. NYC 1913. See Pierpont Morgan as Collector and Patron 1837–1913, New York: Pierpont Morgan Library, 1970, wrappers, 39 p., ill.
Yü-Shuo — A Discourse On Jade With Researches on the History of Jade
Book
T'ang, J.-t. (1900) Yü-Shuo — A Discourse On Jade With Researches on the History of Jade.
Record No. 28804 | Sinkankas/Born No.: 6482; Born: pp. 71–72 | Language: in Chinese | not seen
Sinkankas: In: Bishop, R. H., The Bishop Collection: Investigations and Studies in Jade, New York, 1900, which see, p. 321–370. Cont.: tp.; tab. cont.; title of another jade work; text; append. (biblio., p. 367–370, containing titles to 71 books quoted in text). Bushell’s translation is preceded by his own remarks which actually begin on p. 285 and note that T’ang’s work “is remarkable not only for its research into the vast store of native literature, but also for the knowledge it shows of ancient and modern work in jade. It has been written to illustrate the importance and recherché collection of Mr. Heber R. Bishop, who requested “a condensed article on jade by a native Chinese scholar, treating upon its uses in China from the earliest period down to the present day.” Further, “the author has … divided his article into nine sections, entitled I. Sources of Jade, II. Crude Jade, III. Value of Jade, IV. Objects made of Jade, V. Jade used by the Son of Heaven, VI. Jade used by the State, VII. Colors of Jade, VIII. Ancient Jade, and IX. Pei-ts’ui. It concludes with an Appendix, containing the titles of 71 books quoted in the article, which range through at least three thousand years, and belong to every class of literature, from official annals to the relations of Taoist legend. I have given the names of most of the writers of these books, and their approximate dates. The Discourse itself I have translated as literally as possible, so as to try to convey the spirit of the original.” Concerning this article, Laufer, Jade, 1912, p. 7, states that it “is composed of a conglomeration of literary quotations from ancient texts which are rather inexactly and sometimes incompletely cited. Dr. Bushell did not verify them from the originals.”
The Kachin Gazetteer
Book
Walker, H.B., Capt. and Davies, H.R., Capt. (1893) The Kachin Gazetteer. Rangoon, Compiled in the Intelligence Office, Burma Branch, 122 pp.
Record No. 7715 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
Walker and Davies compile geographical, political, ethnographic, and administrative information on the Kachin peoples and territories of northern Upper Burma for the use of British officials. The gazetteer describes the distribution of Kachin communities, their tribal and clan organization, chiefs and systems of authority, villages, customs, religion, warfare, agriculture, trade, routes, and relations with neighboring peoples. It also records the physical geography of the mountainous frontier region, communications and principal settlements, and the natural and economic resources encountered there. Of particular relevance to gemological history is the work’s coverage of the northern Burmese districts and trade routes associated with the jade-producing country and commerce with China. As a proof edition compiled by the Intelligence Office shortly after the British annexation of Upper Burma, it provides an early administrative account of a region then being systematically surveyed and brought under colonial control.
Nephrite deposits in the Kunlun mountains
Местонахождения нефрита в Куэнь-Луне Mestorozhdeniya nefri v Kuen-Lune
Journal Article
Bogdanovic, K.I. (1892) Nephrite deposits in the Kunlun mountains. [Местонахождения нефрита в Куэнь-Луне Mestorozhdeniya nefri v Kuen-Lune] Zapishi Imperatorskago S. Peterburgsogo Mineralogicheshogo, Series 2, Vol. 29, pp. 153–162.
Record No. 7127 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Russian | not seen
Describes seven primary nephrite deposits in the basins of the following Kuen-Luen Mountain rivers: Yarkand- Daria, Tysnab, Kara-Kash, Yarun-Kash. Keria-Daria, Kara-Muran and Tatlik-Su. Alluvial deposit.s occur mainly in Yurun-Kash, Kara-Kash and Tysnab. Gives types of nephrite found, from primary as well as secondary deposits, with Chinese names; nephrite in the Kuen-Luen occurs principally in pyroxenitic rocks.
Jade makes a picture. Qing Dynasty. Painting by Li Chengyuan. Picture book of the preface of the 17th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty
玉作图.清.李澄渊画.清光绪十七年序钞绘本
Book
Li, C. (1891) Jade makes a picture. Qing Dynasty. Painting by Li Chengyuan. Picture book of the preface of the 17th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. [玉作图.清.李澄渊画.清光绪十七年序钞绘本] China, 15 pp.
Record No. 8051 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Chinese
This Jade Picture" album was painted by Li Chengyuan in the Qing Dynasty. The album contains a total of twelve painted color pictures, which record and depict the main steps of traditional jade making: pounding sand, grinding pulp, opening jade, tying, punching, grinding, digging the hall, on the flower, drilling, piercing flowers, eye-catching, wood, and leather jade. Each picture is accompanied by a text description, and a map of jade mining in Xinjiang is attached to the back of the book. This is the preface picture book of the 17th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. This album not only depicts the scene of the jade maker's labor operation, but also indicates the names of important tools one by one. It is divided into thirteen processes, of which the "sand pounding diagram" and "pulping diagram" are combined into one picture, and the eleven processes from three to thirteen are one each, with a total of twelve paintings. In the middle of each picture is the main screen, and there are three vertical columns on the left and right sides, and the first line is the process number and process name. The description of the back calligraphy. Li Chengyuan, a painter in the Qing Dynasty, was born and died in unknown age. Li Chengyuan had a close relationship with Stephen Wootton Bushell, a famous scholar who was active in China in the late Qing Dynasty, a British doctor and orientalist. "Yu Zuotu Theo" was made at the request of Bu Shili."
Manual Descriptive of a Collection of Talismans Engraved on Stones and and metals of Various countries and Epocks, Illustrative of What Man Has Worn for his Protection from Accident and Disease; also, Ancient Gems, Babylonian Cylinders, Persian Seals, Etc.: being part of the important glyptic collection of Maxwell Sommerville
Book
Sommerville, M. (1889) Manual Descriptive of a Collection of Talismans Engraved on Stones and and metals of Various countries and Epocks, Illustrative of What Man Has Worn for his Protection from Accident and Disease; also, Ancient Gems, Babylonian Cylinders, Persian Seals, Etc.: being part of the important glyptic collection of Maxwell Sommerville. Philadelphia, Dept. of Archaeology and Paleontology, University of Pennsylvania, 41 pp.
Record No. 27448 | Sinkankas/Born No.: 6214; NIB | NIS/NIB
Sinkankas: The objects exhibited are numbered 1497 to 1893, and include numerous cut gemstones with others that are made from base or precious metals, and a series of engraved “gems” cut upon ostrich shell, also seals, abraxoid gems, a suite of classical engraved gems. Some are briefly described but no dimensions are given.
[Blue book report on the jade quarries]
Blue book report on the jade quarries
Report
Anonymous (1888) [Blue book report on the jade quarries]. Proceedings of the Chief Commissioner, Burma, Rangoon:
Record No. 6709 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
An account of Upper Burma’s jade industry, describing the history of trade with China, Kachin control of extraction, and Burmese and British arrangements for collecting revenue. It discusses Mogaung’s role as a trading and taxation centre, the effects of warfare and royal purchasing monopolies, and Chinese merchants’ participation in distributing the stone. Mining descriptions cover seasonal working, the allocation of claims, ceremonies preceding excavation, and difficulties caused by flooding. Large fires were used to fracture jade-bearing masses, followed by extraction with hammers and levers under dangerously hot conditions. The account documents the close connections between indigenous mining practices, Chinese demand, and government attempts to profit from the jade trade.
Report on the Administration of Burma for 1887–88
Report
Anonymous (1888) Report on the Administration of Burma for 1887–88. Rangoon: see p. 59
Record No. 3374 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
Contains a mention of Warry’s report on the jade mines.
Das Königliche Ethnographische Museum zu Copenhagen | Handcatalog für die Besuchenden
The Royal Ethnographic Museum of Copenhagen | Handbook for Visitors
Book
Steinhauer, C.L. (1886) Das Königliche Ethnographische Museum zu Copenhagen | Handcatalog für die Besuchenden. [The Royal Ethnographic Museum of Copenhagen | Handbook for Visitors] Copenhagen, 128 pp.
Record No. 7944 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Danish | not seen
Steinhauer provides a visitor’s handbook to the collections of the Royal Ethnographic Museum in Copenhagen, arranged geographically and ethnographically to guide visitors through objects illustrating the material cultures of peoples around the world. The catalogue includes implements, weapons, ornaments, clothing, religious objects, and objects fashioned from stone and other materials.
Photocopies of Selected Official and Private Papers of William Warry (1854–1936), acting assistant Chinese secretary, Peking 1881–82, special service, Government of India from 1885, political officer, Bhamo, Mandalay and Shwegu 1887–89, adviser to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, on Chinese affairs 1890–1904; including photocopies of maps of the Trans-Salween section of the Burmo-Chinese frontier
Report
Warry, W. (1881–1904) Photocopies of Selected Official and Private Papers of William Warry (1854–1936), acting assistant Chinese secretary, Peking 1881–82, special service, Government of India from 1885, political officer, Bhamo, Mandalay and Shwegu 1887–89, adviser to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, on Chinese affairs 1890–1904; including photocopies of maps of the Trans-Salween section of the Burmo-Chinese frontier. London: British Library, European Manuscript Private Papers section,
Record No. 4536 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
Private and official papers of William Warry, the British intelligence agent who studied the jade trade in northern Burma and China in the late 19th century.
On the building and ornamental stones of India
Journal Article
Ball, V. (1880) On the building and ornamental stones of India. Records, Geological Survey of India, Vol. 7, pp. 98–122.
Record No. 29503 | Sinkankas/Born No.: 333A; NIB | NIS/NIB
Sinkankas: Written upon request of Professor Edward Hull (1829–1917), who wanted information for his forthcoming book on such stones; however, the latter was published in 1872 (which see) without Ball’s contribution. General remarks on stone uses, structures, properties, durability, industry, etc., with specifics on deposits of granites, gneisses, basalt, serpentine, steatite, marble, gypsum, alabaster, limestone, sandstone, quartzite, laterite, slates and ornamental stones (pp. 109–110), the last mentioning the Taj Mahal at Agra and its famous stone inlays of lapis, chalcedonies, marbles, slate, and nephrite.
Jin Yu Suosui (金玉瑣碎)
Miscellaneous Fragments on Gold and Yu
Book
Xie, K. (1880) Jin Yu Suosui (金玉瑣碎). [Miscellaneous Fragments on Gold and Yu], juan 1, fols. 17a–18b, entry “Fei Cui Tanglang (mantis)” (翡翠螳螂)
Record No. 28257 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Chinese | not seen
Jin Yu Suosui (金玉瑣碎) [Miscellaneous Fragments on Gold and Yu] is a Qing-dynasty collection of miscellaneous observations concerning gold, yu, precious materials, and objects made from them. Of particular gemological interest is its discussion of fei cui (翡翠), including an entry concerning a fei cui mantis (翡翠螳螂), reflecting the terminology, appreciation, and use of fei cui in nineteenth-century China.
[Nephrite from Iona, Hebrides]
Nephrite from Iona, Hebrides
Journal Article
Damour, A. (1877?) [Nephrite from Iona, Hebrides]. [journal unknown],
Record No. 8028 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not found
Discusses nephrite from Iona, Hebrides
Nefryt z Niesuch iż na Polesiu
Nephrite from Niesuch iż in Polesia
Journal Article
Niedzwiedzki, J. (1877) Nefryt z Niesuch iż na Polesiu. [Nephrite from Niesuch iż in Polesia] Kosmos, Vol. 2, p. 365.
Record No. 8003 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Polish | not seen
Discusses nephrite in Poland.
Popis Predmeta iz Predhistoricke dobe u nar. zem. Muzeju u Zagrebu
List of Items from the Prehistoric Era in the National Museum in Zagreb
Catalog
Ljubić, Š. (1876) Popis Predmeta iz Predhistoricke dobe u nar. zem. Muzeju u Zagrebu. [List of Items from the Prehistoric Era in the National Museum in Zagreb] Zagreb: Tiskarski i litografijski zavod C. Albrechta
Record No. 8001 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Croation | not seen
An early catalogue of the prehistoric collection of the National Museum in Zagreb by the Croatian historian and archaeologist Šime Ljubić. Prepared in connection with the 1876 International Congress of Anthropology and Prehistoric Archaeology in Budapest, the work systematically records prehistoric artifacts held by the museum, including stone, metal and other archaeological objects, and is accompanied by four plates. It represents one of the earliest attempts to catalogue and organize Croatia’s prehistoric archaeological collections and is important for the history of archaeology and museum practice in the region.
![[request for nephrite samples]](/media/publications/388818764901-22 at 18.33.09.jpg "[request for nephrite samples]")
[request for nephrite samples]
request for nephrite samples
Journal Article
Fischer, H. (1874) [request for nephrite samples]. Pharmazeutische Zeitung | pharmaceutischen Handelsblatt, Vol. 19, No. 9, p. 29.
Record No. 16424 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS | Language: in German | not seen
Ad by Heinrich Fischer looking for jade samples.
Estrada de Ferro da Bahia ao São Francisco: Estudos definitivos da Alagoinhas ao Juazeiro e Casa Nova
Railway from Bahia to São Francisco: Definitive studies from Alagoinhas to Juazeiro and Casa Nova
Book
Bulhões, A.M.d.O. (1874) Estrada de Ferro da Bahia ao São Francisco: Estudos definitivos da Alagoinhas ao Juazeiro e Casa Nova. [Railway from Bahia to São Francisco: Definitive studies from Alagoinhas to Juazeiro and Casa Nova] Rio de Janeiro, G. Leuzinger e Filhos
Record No. 8104 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Portuguese | not seen
Bulhões presents the definitive engineering studies for extending the Bahia–São Francisco railway from Alagoinhas toward Juazeiro and Casa Nova, describing the proposed route, topography, rivers, terrain, settlements, engineering difficulties, and natural resources encountered across the interior of Bahia. Prepared principally as a technical report for railway construction, the work includes geographical and geological observations made during surveys of regions that were still imperfectly documented. Its relevance to mineralogical and gemological research lies in observations on the rocks, minerals, and potentially exploitable resources encountered along the proposed railway corridor, providing contemporary evidence for nineteenth-century knowledge of the mineral-producing districts of Bahia.
Di alcuni oggetti dell’epoca neolitica rinvenuti nel Friuli
On some neolithic objects found in Friuli
Journal Article
Torquato, T. (1874) Di alcuni oggetti dell’epoca neolitica rinvenuti nel Friuli. [On some neolithic objects found in Friuli] Annali Scientifici del Regio Istituto Tecnico Zanon di Udine, Vol. 7, pp. 41–80.
Record No. 8019 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Italian | not seen
Torquato describes a group of Neolithic objects discovered in Friuli in northeastern Italy, examining their forms, materials, workmanship, and archaeological significance. The finds include polished stone implements and other artifacts, which he compares with prehistoric objects from elsewhere in Italy and Europe in an effort to characterize the region’s Neolithic material culture. Particular attention is given to the mineralogical nature of the stones used for axes and related implements, including unusual green materials relevant to contemporary discussions of jade, jadeite, and nephrite. The study contributes to the nineteenth-century documentation of prehistoric Friuli and to the broader debate concerning the distribution and provenance of jade and other exotic stone materials in Neolithic Europe.
![[Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale]](/media/publications/378417715407-16 at 13.39.58.jpg "[Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale]")
[Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale]
Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale
Newspaper Article
Issel, A. (1874) [Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale]. Corriere Mercantile, 14 April, Genova
Record No. 7495 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
Issel announces the discovery of a human skeleton in a cave near Finale, Liguria, a region already noted for important prehistoric remains. The brief newspaper notice reports the find in the context of contemporary investigations into the antiquity of humans and the prehistoric occupation of the Ligurian caves. The discovery contributed to nineteenth-century archaeological and anthropological interest in the Finale cave sites, where human remains, stone implements, ornaments, and other evidence of prehistoric habitation and burial were being brought to scientific attention.
[small tool made of a nephrite-like rock]
small tool made of a nephrite-like rock
Newspaper Article
Niederrheinischen Gesellschaft zu Bonn (1871) [small tool made of a nephrite-like rock]. Correspondenzblatt der Niederrheinischen Gesellschaft zu Bonn [Correspondence sheet of the Lower Rhine Society of Bonn], Bonn
Record No. 7990 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in German | not seen
Discusses a tool made from a nephrite-like rock.
Exploring the Literature of Jade
Jade literature spans gemology, mineralogy, archaeology, art history, mining, carving and connoisseurship, and includes works on both jadeite and nephrite from around the world.
For an introduction to collecting books on this subject, read Hidden Treasure — Collecting the Literature of Jade.
About Four Treasures
Four Treasures is Lotus Gemology's freely accessible gemological reference database. Use the full database to search by author, title or keyword and explore literature on gemology, mineralogy, jewelry and related fields. Where available, hyperlinks on titles may lead directly to the full publication.