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Bravo, Roger and some comments about MV's jade book!

Posted By: Bill
Posted Date: Apr 30, 2009 (07:10 PM)

Message
Bravo, Roger:

For some reasons I missed your message about MV and his book on Netsuke and now I read it I cannot help but keep saying,

"Bravo, Roger"

Incidentally, the comments listed on Amazon.com for his jade book "Jade: 5000 B.C. to 1912 A.D., a Guide for Collectors (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)" is:

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Vanity book on jade, June 1, 2006
By Edith B. Terry (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
I ordered this book hoping that it would attempt to provide a reference tool on authentication, dating and typology of jade for Western collectors. Such books exist in Chinese language, although they tend to be overly subjective, written by collectors, or narrowly academic, written by academics. There are also Chinese-language references for the general public that are simplistic and lacking in the most basic grounding in history and academic references.

This turns out to be a highly subjective book by an amateur Western collector with little or no knowledge of the extensive bibliography on jade in Western languages, let alone Chinese. I am tempted to throw this book away. Almost all of the jade illustrated is fake or very crude, or misattributed (Liangzhu culture to Shang, for example). Here and there an interesting piece sneaks in but this author would not be able to identify it or tell the reader what makes it interesting.

About the only redeeming feature of the book is an introduction in which Mr. Veleanu talks about his own life experience and how he came, quite late in life, to an interest in jade. I only hope that he applied more rigor to his studies of medicine than he does to his research on jade.

Edith Terry"

and another review:

"19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Rip-off. Not worth the money., September 21, 2005
By Khung Keong Yeo "Max" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
The author is not an expert on jade at all. Features pieces from own private collection and some of the descriptions are obviously inaccurate (eg. Goddess of Mercy holding a fly swatter???!!!). Would give it -ve stars if possible. I am also aghast that the publishers did not have more rigorous standards."

Now the most interesting part is I found a comment posted seemingly by the author himself in responding to this review:

" Initial post: Jul 25, 2008 9:57 PM PDT
Mircea Veleanu says:
Khung Keong Yeo!
Max,
Are you a joker or the most ignorant Chinese man I have ever met!
What's wrong to display jade items from a personal collection?
Obviously you are not Buddhist, as the commonest representation of Guan Yin is the goddess holding a whisk.
You should read more about your people's ancestry before writing reviews with stupid, derogatory statements, completely unfounded. About your remark of the publisher, do you know that libel is a crime?"

Wow it truly shows the real color of this book author and I now understand why Diasai so totally despised this author and I concur.

B

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