"Alas, we have lost the name of the genius who created the abacus," said the Ching dynasty calendarist Mei Wen-ting, in a phrase that sums up well our knowledge of the abacus 'origins.
作珠盤者甚巧，惜逸其姓名「作珠盤者甚巧，惜逸其姓名。」清朝曆算家梅文鼎的感嘆，正是算盤身世的寫照。