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cases I found their experience in the field to be of practical value, and their knowledge of art and arch^[[pencil]]a[[/pencil]]eology to be comparable with that of many of the gentlemen who make those subjects their profession. 
[[underline]]RELATIONS[[/underline]] 
[[underline]]WITH[[/underline]] [[underline]]DEALERS[[/underline]]
I believe that when the school is established  it will be found that a certain relation must be established and preserved with the art dealers of Europe, America, China and Japan. They are often in a position to allow us to study objects of great importance. While our interests may sometimes be found to run counter to theirs, it would be undesirable to insist too openly on this, and I suggest that, whenever it is possible, we keep in touch with their collections in the field and with their catalogues (many of which are valuable for illustrations) and with the ultimate disposal of their objects. For the most part their public will be largely identical with ours, and we can not afford to disregard their organization for reaching that public. We shall find that their customers are often the very ones to whom we may best apply for interest and even tangible support, and that they are the persons who possess objects which will be of value to us in our work of comparing and classifying material. 

In the shop of M. Vignier I was shown six large stone figures, in the round, of late(?) T'ang origin , important but not of the best workmanship. Finer than they, was the long stone plinth coming from what I take to be an alter or dais on which the figures are supposed to have rested. It was T'ang in general style, but was decorated with curious