[318] I am indebted for this literal translation of the much–quoted passage to Mr. Edwards, of the Oriental MSS. Department of the British Museum. It has been more freely rendered by M. Reinaud, Relation des voyages faits par les Arabes, etc., Paris, 1845, p. 34.
[319] See F. Sarre, "Kleinfunde von Samarra und ihre Ergebnisse," in Islam, July, 1914.
[320] Fragments of white porcelain with carved designs were found in some of the sites excavated by Sir Aurel Stein in Turfan, and there are fragments similar to the Samarra finds obtained from ancient sites in the Persian Gulf and now in the British Museum. But the evidence of these pieces is not conclusive, for the sites were inhabited for many centuries. That of Samarra, on the other hand, is most important, for the city was only of a mushroom growth, which began and ended in the ninth century. See also p. 134.
[321] See Cat. B.F.A., 1910, A 43.
[322] See Cat. B.F.A., 1910, F 9 and 14.
[323] See passage from Hsü Ch´ing's notes, p. 39.
t´ao yü. There are variant readings to this passage as given in the Chiang hsi t´ung chih (bk. xciii., fol. 5 verso), which make t´ao yü the name of a man, the passage being read "T´ao–yü forwarded as tribute false jade vessels." As pointed out elsewhere, this expression "false jade" seems to imply a porcellanous ware. The comparison of porcelain and even fine pottery to jade is a commonplace in China, and it is not necessary to infer that any particular colour, green or otherwise, is indicated.