English abstract of the articles Fire Altars and Votive Implements in the Northern Qi Tombs of Xu Xianxiu and Lou Rui SHI ANCHANG Abstract: The author argues that what is conventionally described as a lamp in the tombs of Xu Xianxiu and Lou Rui is in fact a fire altar and that the chicken-headed hu, zun and ping, conventionally described by ceramics experts as cockscomb vessels, are in fact votive objects. What is also described by excavators as a stone lamp in the Sui dynasty tomb of Yu Hong should also be described as a fire altar. This would explain that Zoroastrian believers in China ascribed to the Chinese funereal tradition of placing votive objects in tombs, and so the placement of fire altars and Zoroastrian votive objects in the tombs of the religion s adherents in China could be seen as part of a local tradition. The article Chinese appears from page 41 to 48. Key words: Zoroastrian burial customs; fir altars; ritual objects; Xu Xianxiu; Lou Rui; Yu Hong. A Study and Description of Purple Li-ma Statuary in the Qing Palaces LUO WENHUA Abstract: The Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty was an important milestone in the development of the palace s Tibetan Buddhist arts and it signified the rich interaction between Chinese and Tibetan art. In the 45th year (1780) of the Qianlong Emperor s reign, the Sixth Panchen Lama travelled to Beijing for the Emperor s birthday and he brought with him a Buddhist statue made from purple li-ma (a bronze-brass compound of as many as eight metals, the most valuable containing gold) both for the emperor s veneration and also to be copied by the Zaobanchu in the palace. Later the original formula for this ware was improved and special lima statues for exclusive use in the palace were made and these became part of the treasury of Tibetan Buddhist statuary in the palace collection. This paper provides a detailed introduction to the background history of this using the archives of the Zaobanchu (Imperial Workshops) under the Neiwufu of the Qing royal palace and describes the representative works in the collections of the Palace Museum and the Imperial Summer Retreat at Chengde. The article Chinese appears from page 49 to 63. Key words: Sixth Panchen Lama; Portrait of Zhongba Khutuktu; purple li-ma; Qianlong Emperor; Zaobanchu; Imperial Workshops.