jade, jadeite, fei cui, nephrite, China, Burma, Chinese jade, jade carving, gems

Sinkankas: A work perhaps less remarkable for its cataloguing of about 200 examples in the museum collection than for its discerning commentary. Here it is revealed that the author wrote from observations made while cataloguing more than 600 pieces in the collection, assembled between 1919 and 1969 and now numbering over 1,000 objects. Among these is a suite of Eastern Zhou jades dating from the fifth to third centuries BC, derived from the Bishop White Collection and discussed in part in his Tombs of Old Loyang (Shanghai, 1934). Many of the pieces illustrated in the present work, however, had never previously been published. Dohrenwend provides an excellent discussion of the problems associated with jade studies, namely correct mineralogical identification, dating, and answering the question, “Are these Chinese jades?” Another valuable contribution is his study of tool marks on jade objects as evidence of manufacturing techniques characteristic of particular periods, thereby improving the accuracy of dating. A further interesting section reviews the pioneering contributions to jade studies by scholars such as Laufer, Salmony, Willetts, Pelliot, and Hansford, together with a special discussion of Chinese documentary sources. The final part of the text examines the various types and classes of jade objects, whether ceremonial or utilitarian. The catalogue entries are exceptionally detailed, although in many instances photographs of light-coloured jades do not contrast well against the white paper background, making details difficult to discern. Includes an extensive and useful bibliography. Reviewed in Journal of Gemmology 13(3), 1972, pp. 111–112; also discussed in Born, pp. 115–117.