gems, jade, China, Chinese jade carving, Chinese lapidary arts, archaic jades, ancient texts

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.”