Page 7 - Deydier VOL.1 Meiyintang Collection of Chinese Bronses

Foreword

When I was given the honour of being chosen to compile Volume 2 of ‘Chinese
Bronzes from the Meiyintang Collection’, I set myself to this task with the
passion and exactness necessary to ensure a work of quality. The Meiyintang
Collection of ancient Chinese bronzes, by virtue of the rarity and quality of
the pieces of which it is composed, their exceptional provenances and the
importance of the publications in which many of them have been recorded,
should reasonably be considered the best and most important collection of
ancient Chinese bronzes amassed over the past twenty years.

While carrying out research on the bronzes for Volume 2, I also came across
quite a bit of new information on the bronzes already published in Volume 1
of ‘Chinese Bronzes from the Meiyintang Collection’. Thus was I able to trace
the provenance of some of these objects from collection to collection, discover
the names of the exhibitions in which they had been displayed and, especially,
make a list of all the publications in which many of these vessels and/or their
inscriptions have been discussed or recorded. Finally, I was able to re-examine
the translations of many of the ancient inscriptions on those bronzes, some
of which were published at the beginning of the last century in the earliest
reference books on this subject.

After having gathered all this incredibly meaningful useful information, I
felt it important, not to say absolutely necessary, and to publish it all in this
‘Annexe’, in order to present the public with as complete a catalogue of this
exceptional collection of bronzes as possible.

Christian Deydier

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