A Journey Through China's History. The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection Part 1

A Journey Through China's History. The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection Part 1

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 109. An inscribed silver-inlaid bronze ruler, Song - Qing dynasty | 宋至清 銅錯銀「晉前尺」.

An inscribed silver-inlaid bronze ruler, Song - Qing dynasty | 宋至清 銅錯銀「晉前尺」

Auction Closed

March 22, 07:08 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

An inscribed silver-inlaid bronze ruler

Song - Qing dynasty

宋至清 銅錯銀「晉前尺」


the reverse inscribed with a nineteen-character inscription reading Zhouchi hanzhiliu xintongchi houhanjianwutongchi jinqianchi bingtong (Zhou dynasty bronze ruler, Han dynasty Liu Xin bronze ruler, Jin dynasty Jianwu reign bronze ruler, all the same)

銘文:

周尺 漢志鎦歆銅尺 後漢建武銅尺 晉前尺 並同


Length 9⅛ in., 23.1 cm

Collection of Professor D.M.S. Watson FSA (1886-1973).

Sotheby's London, 19th October 1965, lot 30 (part lot).

Collection of Dr Wou Kiuan (1910-1997).

Wou Lien-Pai Museum, 1968-present, coll. no. H.7.3.


D.M.S. 沃特森教授 (1886-1973) 收藏

倫敦蘇富比1965年10月19日,編號30 (其一)

吳權博士 (1910-1997) 收藏

吳蓮伯博物院,1968年至今,編號H.7.3

This lot closely resembles a bronze ruler, known as the Jin Qian Chi (Pre-Jin dynasty ruler), published by the Song dynasty scholar, Wang Houzhi (1131-1204) in Zhongding kuanzhi [Inscriptions on archaic bronzes], Jiguzhai edition, Jiaqing 7th year (1802), p. 20 (fig. 1). The ruler has since been discussed and illustrated by other scholars, including Ruan Yuan (1764-1849) in Jiguzhai zhongding yiqi kuanzhi [Inscriptions on the archaic bronzes from the Studio of Collecting Antiquities], vol. 10, p. 19; and Feng Yunpeng and Feng Yunyuan in Jinshisuo [Catalogue of bronze inscriptions], Daoguang 7th year (1827), p. 143.


Traditionally, the Jin Qian Chi was believed to be made by Xun Xu (d. 289) of the Western Jin dynasty (265-316). However, Wang Guowei (1877-1927) has concluded, after studying its inscription, that this ruler is in fact a Song dynasty copy, made by Gao Ruona (997-1055), a high official at the Northern Song court (see Wang Guowei, Wang Guowei quanji [The complete collection of the works by Wang Guowei], Hangzhou, 2010, pp 391 and 392). According to Songshi lülizhi [Study of the history, music and calendar of the Song dynasty], Gao Ruona recreated the fifteen types of rulers, including the Jin Qian Chi, based on the historical texts recorded in the Suishi lülizhi [Study of the history, music and calendar of the Sui dynasty]. Wang Guowei's theory was also shared by Wu Chengluo (Zhongguo duliangheng shi [The history of Chinese measurement system], Shanghai, 1984, pp 215 and 216).