New-York tribune., 1902-08-21
THE BISHOP COLLECTION.
DESCRIPTION OF THE JADES TO BE
PRESENTED To THE MUSEUM
OF

HeOSr BlSlOp. which is TO De presented 10 the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. is given in Vogue"
this week Speaking of the unique character Of this
collection, the article says:
9gd OF Ga aa has d R n has no f very D high o sRs
sVe coAecuon IN any instance. There is no mu-
scum public or private that has gathered together
that is at ali Representative Of the wide range Of
subjective interest: and there is collector that
Mr. Bsho1 For nearIV fvf1fyfve years he has
been travelling in the United States Europe China.
Japan and India always with the idea Of discover
ing if possible new jades. either in their FORM puE-
talnly splendid specnen Of eyT-y variety or JADE
it numbers hundreds Of PIECES, rangIng II value
from few dollars to many thousands
OF Mr. Bishops Qualifications aside from the
mere enthusiasm of the ordinary collector, Vogue
remarks that he is not only possessor. but an
c05phed student 5 IN Es his Subge sui Saa His t name me
coieciion as me eat6ering Of it not oniy has been
a great work. but the information that ne has col
mental he having been in communication with
nearly every living authority on jade. and in many
fl5'a ply him With ' original manuscript
WORK OF VAST RESEARCH
The cataloguiug Of this collection was work Of
vast research and high scholarship. Many years
have been consumed in the preparation Of the book
and corps OF specialists have had TO De employed
The article says:
BY far the most extraordinary part of Mr.. Bsh-
op 5 interest in his work IS the way that he mas
quantity OF Information that he mas acquired.
ms Is 10 oe cons cone Dy means IS 0 I ~ G nun On
hshed Is a royal folio in limited edition OF one
oughIy cover the subject For this catalogue ne has
had prepared a cQ9lpiete bibliogEapny ana COM ON;
p.ete mineralogicaI resumption OF the subject and
illustrations ot the moss ceSIi{ anu qest4L!1ut Q
OF plates made by hand in colors. BY Chinese
lists showing The present method OF JADE "2Ealng;
made Of ais best pieces and by various photographic
and plOLO-ueCEauICd4 processes ne has reproduced
IN color 0ther OBJECTS SO tnat MS caLatogue "4el @
only his collection but the literature of the subject
vans, notably Dr.. BusheI, who for many years
attached 10 the British Legation at Peklng aud IS
has been made especially by hand. and incidentally
Nj NJ Blsn2P mas % had f f9 or m in one nar l
tlcuIar If no other that besides being extremely me
condition presented to the artist most diilcuII
problem Of rePde1 @ because Of a ns bs @
reflected from the jades. When this book is brougnt
%i be- by Eft only the Bshop catalogue viii rank
high and certainly as Distinctly as the Bsn9p P
handle this subject as he has done for many years
evident from the fact that prior TO his tsa1d making a
gether most vauanIe collection OF ancient Ghinese
acquire through Mr.. Bishops generosity this col
and second TO none in the world ..
note should be made OF Mr. Bishops sc-sTy
in connection with his collections He has DS CT.iy
every 6ook 92taa3e IN cafe si Eng 6It f he S has an
extremely valuable and inclusive Chinese library
ORIGIN OF THE NAME.
Few people have more than hazy idea as to
what Jade really is beyond the fact that It is much
venerated BY the Chinese. The writer continues:
The name is corruption. the stone arss ST. beeom- @
laTds. who found it worked into annuets when they
neGe fbe5 ffb M s6anaTds hisa or piera de hiiada
or stone of the lolns the Mexicans regarding II as
ing the amuIets around their loins. This name,
hada was corrupted into Jade: and from 161 tnSs nS
Greek neDhros the Latin Iapis nephrttlcus In
ing etymoiogcaIiy the outgrowth OF superstition
II properly should be called yu. which - the nj
valuable 1t is not especially hard. but gets harcer
With age oss9 snS SeaP ahd fsy have WORKED it
/ into almost nurnberless articles In tne blSnop
snpIes. ranging from very small articles. such
decora tons emblems OF longevity and small orna-
rents TO large altar vessels, toilet vessels ana oo-
jects OF adornment
Besides the danger Of having limitations toisted
| upon one-and there are many limitations made now
the collector Of Jade needs TO be well Informed IN
recondIte studies. The OF the stone by the
Chinese race IS so involved with their history ana
national characteristics that not versed in the
lore OF Cathay would be sadly at sea says
| Vogue:
BY FAR the most interesting phase OF Jade to the
collector is the OF the objects made from IT,
Student OF iads must have mastered in great meas,
ure the abstruse phases Of Chinese reuglon, ana
become Thoroughly acquainted with Jhe Sniness Is
wrought upon item symbols USED IN tne tnree - re-
ngions of China-the Taost or Nystics me naosS
ancient religious sect Of China; the ContuclanS anu
the Buddhsts The most commonly met decora-
tion on chinese Jade is either the eight Iaotst sym
bo!s or the eight BuGdhtstc symbols W mat these
symbols mean and precisely what their sig glIncaRSe
is literature does disclose PTooa oIy A1r
Bishop knows more about these symbols tnan any
other living man.
OF a brilliant specimen Of peacock Jade in the
Bishop collection Vogue has this to say
Under the general head Of Jade besides nepnT1Ie 5
r1inera logtsts have differentiated JaCslte MS
often is transparent and OF nucn more orl!-tans
color some OF il closely resembling the emerald
clear brilliant green II usually appears n very
small pieces. large enough for brooches earrings
and other Derso1al ornaments The ChineSe can II
Fei1ts1ti or peaCock Jade. Mr.. Bishop has many
specimens and one particularly, double souro
about eight inches in height and one N tnlckheSs'
with A width OF about five lnches-an extraorol--
nariIy beautiful and exceptionally large specimen OF