Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 7. (Budapest, 1964)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Horváth, Tibor: Four Archaic Chinese Jade Carwings

Fig. 2/a-b. Knot-opener, steatite, Eastern Chou Not only does the form distinguish this object as a knot-opener, but specially its pointed end. This specimen belonging to the Museum must be of a much earlier date than the one published by Ch'en Chih-fo and Wu Shan. Comparative analysis explains the degenerated form of the latter, regarding the motifs, the joining of dots and the C-shaped spirals, now without any rhythmical sequence, should be noted. The newly used substitution of the animal figure for the earlier circles- four curved lines-dots motif also belongs to this category. Although this Sui-T'ang knot-opener can be used only in an ante quem relation, it is still noteworthy because it represents a late variation of a relatively rare jade type of object. If the other piece is really from the Sui-T'ang dynasties, it is hard to confirm just by the drawing and not knowing the original, even so, we have learned something which has to be known concerning the history of Chinese jades and bronzes, and has also some importance in the survey of Chinese art. According to these jade knot-openers, the antiquities of the Han or pre-Han periods were imitated as early as the Sui-T'ang period. It was thought formerly that the antiquarian interest, so characteristic of the Northern Sung dynasty was the leading force for copying. We can trace the source of this partly to K'ao ku t'u (Illustrated Studies of Antiquities) published by