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Guyutu 古玉圖

Mar 28, 2024 © Ulrich Theobald

Guyutu 古玉圖 (also called Ji guyu tu 集古玉圖) is a book on ancient jade objects compiled during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Zhu Rerun 朱德潤 (1294-1365), courtesy name Zemin 澤民, from Kunshan 昆山, Jiangsu.

The book of 2 juan length, finished in 1341, presents 40 objects of private collections and that of the imperial household (mifu 秘府). It is arranged according to the types of objects, from rings and hooks to pendants and other types. The author provides the dimensions of each object and describes their shape and the characteristics of the material. For some of the collectables, the owner is also indicated. Even if the catalogue is held in a very simple style, Zhu's Guyutu has some value because it is the oldest book on antique jade objects. The first print dates from 1602 (Baogutang 寶古堂). A modernized version was published in 1763 by Huang Sheng's 黃晟 (b. c. 1684) Yizhengtang 亦政堂.

The text is found in the series Shuofu 說郛 with the title Guyu tukao 古玉圖攷 (古玉圖考).

Sources:
Zhang Xiying 張錫瑛. 1997. "Guyutu 古玉圖." In Zhonghua guocui da cidian 中華國粹大辭典, edited by Men Kui 門巋, and Zhang Yanjin 張燕瑾, 785. Xianggang: Guoji wenhua chuban gongsi.
Wang Shimin 王世民. 1992. "Guyutu 古玉圖." In Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, part Kaoguxue 考古學, 145. Beijing and Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
蜀漢 (221-263)