Dichter Li Yu (50—136 n. Chr.) aus der Provinz Szetchuan für ein Spielfeld hinterlassen hat, ist dafür ein guter Beweis: Rund der Ball, viereckig das Land Gleich dem Bild von Erde (Yin1) und Himmel (Yang1); Der Ball fliegt über uns wie der Mond, Während sich zwei Mannschaften gegenüberstehn, Spielführer sind ernannt und halten Platz nach unveränderlichen Regeln. Keinen Vorteil gibt es für Verwandte, Kein Platz ist für Parteilichkeit. Dafür herrscht Entschluß und kaltes Blut Ohne jede Irrung und Unterlassung. Und wenn dies alles für das Fußballspiel notwendig ist, Um wieviel mehr muß es für den Kampf des Lebens sein! (Nach dem Englischen aus Giles, Adversaria Sinica 1905 zitiert übersetzt.*) In diesem Gedicht sind alle Gedanken über Wesen, Sinn und Werte des Spiels enthalten. Neben dem Fußballspiel waren auch eine Art Golfspiel und das Polospiel in China verbreitet. Fußball- und Polospiel sind von dort im ersten Jahrhundert nach Japan hinübergewandert. Auch aus der japanischen Geschichte wissen wir, daß im zweiten Jahrtausend nach der Zeitwende in japanischen Klosterschulen Fußballspiele geübt wurden. Das Polospiel ist in China von 627, in Japan von 727 an gesichert.

Football in Ancient China By courtesy of Dr. Loehr, hitherto Assistent at the Museum of Ethnology in Munich, we are in a position to publish a reproduction of a painting showing a Chinese football game. It originates from the 13th century and is shown on page 279 of a book by B. Harada, bearing the title “The Pageant of Chinese Painting” (Tokyo 1936). According to the translation by Dr. Loehr, the writing at the foot of the painting reads as follows: “The painting Chao T’ai-tsu Playing Football was formerly at the Imperial Palace. Later it passed over into the possession of an art collector in Lo (presumably Lo-yang). I was face to face with the picture and made a copy of it. If it had not been full of heavenly motion, I should not have dared copying it. (The expression ‘Heavenly Motion’ is a free translation of what verbally reads ‘Revolt of the Heavenly Spirits’. The Translator.) Hsi-lan-wêng Ch’ien Shun-chü. *) Siehe auch ,,Gymnastischer Dreiklang", Heft 2 der Olympischen Schriften. 1) Begriffe der uralten ostasiatischen Naturphilosophie, Yang das helle, gute, warme, männliche, Yin, das dunkle, kalte, böse, weib liche Prinzip, Himmel und Erde. Das Zeichen für Yang ist eine ununterbrochene Linie , für Yin eine einmal unterbrochene Linie was auch Längsseite und Torseite des Spielfeldes darstellen könnte. (Nach Tafel Albert ,,Meine Tibetreise", Stuttgart 1923, Seite 17.)

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The real name of the painter, who took his doctor’s degree towards the end of the SouthernSung Period (according to Sirén, in 1260) and who was born in 1235, is Ch’ien-Hsüan. Shunchü is his most familiar sumame (tzu). The name “Hsi-lan-wêng (“the old man, lazy at study”) is a sumame which originated at some later date (hao) and which he applied to himself after his own studio “Hsi-lan-Chai”. Harada does not give any data on the size and material of the painting, nor on the respective collection, etc. The writing at the foot of the painting merely reads: “Painting of a Football Game, by Ch’ien Hsüan of the Yüan Period”. The painting is, therefore, one dating back to still earlier times, and from Chinese literature we know that from the 3rd century B. C. on, the ball game was quite often mentioned as being a game between two teams, the ball having to be kicked over a goal. The winner was ascertained according to the number of points. At first, the ball was stuffed with hair, but from the beginning of the 5th century of the Christian era it was filled with air. It had a leather casing, consisted of eight parts, and had to be perfectly spherical. The importance which the playing in teams has for the moral education of youth was fully recognized. Of that, the inscription left by the Chinese poet Li Yu (50—136 A. D.) and intended for a football field is excellent proof: A round ball and a square wall, Suggesting the shapes of the Yin*) and the Yang*); The ball flying across like the moon, While the two teams stand opposed. Captains are appointed, and take their places, According to unchanging regulations. No allowances are made for relationship; There must be no partialities. But there must be determination and coolness, Without the slightest irritation at failure . . . . And if all this is necessary for football, How much more so for the business of life! (From Giles’ : “Adversaria Sinica, 1905.**) That poem contains all ideas about the characteristics, the meaning and the merits of the game. In addition to football, also a certain kind of golf, as well as polo, was extensively played in China, from where, in the first century, these games were introduced into Japan. We also know from Japanese history that in the second millenium of the Christian era football games took place at Japanese monastic schools. In China, polo was an established fact since 627, in Japan since 727, A. D. *) Conceptions in connection with ancient natural history include for instance: "Yang", meaning something bright, good, warm or manly, "yin", meaning the mysterious, cool, evil, feminine principle — Heaven and Earth. The symbol for "Yang" is an uninterrupted , which may also be intended for indicating one of the long line that for ,,Yin" a once interrupted line sides or one of the goal sides of a ball field. (After a table contained in Albert's ,,Meine Tibertreise" ("My Trip Through Ti bet"), Stuttgart, 1923, page 17.) **) Also see: ,,Gymnastischer Dreiklang", Nr. 2, of the ,,Olympic Writings" (Olympische Schriften).

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Ein chinesisches Polotor nach Kung-lin (etwa 1040—1106). gemalt von Kuan-p’êng (1736 his 1796). Besitz: Museum Peiping. Aus: Diem ,,Asiatische Reiterspiele” Seit? 159.

I

Eine chinesische Polospielerin, Tonfigur aus der T'angzeit (618—906). Grabbeigabe. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.

II

Besitz des

Aus: Diem ,,Asiatische Reiterspiele" Seite 150.

Chinesisches

Fußballbild .,Chao T’ai-tsu

Yüan-Zeit (1280—1368).

beim

Fußbellspiel” von Ch’ien Hsüan aus der

A u s : B . H a r a d a , T h e P a g e a n t o f C h i n e s e P a i n t i n g , T o k y o 1936 (The Otsuka-Kogeisha) Pl. 279.

III