Engraved Slips on the Shan Sacrifices by Chen-tsung (with box plaques)
Jade
Northern Sung, dated 1008
Length: 29.5~29.8 cm (each), width: 2 cm (each)

    In the days of imperial China, the sacrifices conducted by the emperor to the heavens and earth were the most important of state ceremonies. They were done at Mt. T'ai--the one for the heavens being performed near the top of the mountain, and the one for the earth (shan) at the base. This set of tablets was discovered in 1931 along with a set dating from the reign of Hsuan-tsung (r. 713-755) of the T'ang dynasty by General Ma Hung-kuei when he was stationed in the area. Both provide important historical information to support the official record.

    The ceremonies conveyed the wishes of the emperor for long life and harmony. These rituals emerged from the ancient tradition of sacrifices conducted on earth mounds that were constructed as early as the Neolithic age, and assumed much grander proportions later on. Many emperors, starting with Ch'in Shih-huang, performed sacrifices to the heavens and earth, including the Sung emperor Chen-tsung (r. 998-1022) in 1008. However, very few of the texts used in the ceremonies appear in official records, because it was considered as early as the T'ang dynasty inappropriate for the private wishes of the emperor to the heavens and the earth to be made public. These tablets thus provide a glimpse at imperial Sung thought.

    Carved in light greenish-white jade, this "text" is composed of 16 slats that are tied together with gold wire, much in the manner of ancient Chinese books in bamboo or wood. The characters were written first in standard script and then carved and filled with gold pigment, much in the manner of tablets carved for Hsuan-tsung. Compared to those, the carving here appears less precise. Furthermore, the recarving of two of the tablets suggests that corrections were made to reflect changes in the names of the two previous Sung emperors.

    In addition to the tablets are 52 pieces of jade that were recovered at the same time. They are decorated mainly with dragons, phoenixes, and clouds. These might have been part of the box that is said to have held the tablets.