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Eastern Culture Nucleus: Chinese Rare Books in the USC Libraries

Classics 經部

Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu 春秋), one of the Five Classics (Wujing 五經) of Confucianism, is the first Chinese chronological history, covering the years from 722 BC to 479 BC. The Commentary of Zuo (Zuozhuan 左傳) , a commentary to the Chunqiu, contains more complete and rich accounts and thus has been regarded as the prime source of the ancient history of China. The Chunqiu and Zuozhuan were often edited together during the later years of the Ming dynasty. USC's copy, consisting of fifteen juan 卷, was printed in 1616 (Bingchen year of the Wanli reign 萬曆丙辰). It includes annotations by the Ming official and scholar Sun Kuang 孫鑛 (1543-1613; courtesy name 字 Yuefeng 月峰) and is an excellent example of two-color printing in black and red (朱墨套印) in the late Ming dynasty.

Other Rare and Special Editions in the Classics Branch:

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This rhyming dictionary was compiled by the phonologist (音韻學家) Han Daozhao 韓道昭 of the Jin 金 dynasty in 1212. It attempted to revise the earlier published Extended Rhymes (Guangyun 廣韻) of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), consolidating the rhyme schemes and reducing the overall number from 206 to 160.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1515-1516 | 明正德乙亥至丙子刻本.
Explaining Single-Component Graphs and Analyzing Compound Characters 說文解字十五卷 (1644-1722) 19
Explaining Single-Component Graphs and Analyzing Compound Characters (Shuowen jiezi 說文解字) is the earliest surviving comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters compiled by the prominent Eastern Han dynasty Classics scholar (經學家) and philologist Xu Shen 許慎 (d. 120?) in 100 AD. Xu was the first to systematically use radicals (部首) as classifiers in the dictionary. The oldest extant copy of Shuowen jiezi is a collated copy (校本) by the official, calligrapher, and philologist Xu Xuan 徐鉉 (916-991) under imperial edict during the Song dynasty. USC's copy was printed by Mao Jin 毛晉 (1599-1659; courtesy name 字 Zijin 子晉), a prominent book collector and publisher during the late Ming and early Qing periods.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: Early Qing Period (1644 -1722) | 清初毛氏汲古閣刻本.

Further Reading:
- Creamer, Thomas B. I. "Shuowen Jiezi and Textual Criticism in China." International Journal of Lexicography 2, no. 3 (Autumn 1989): 176–187. DOI: 10.1093/ijl/2.3.176.
- Bottéro, Françoise, and Christoph Harbsmeier. "The Shuowen Jiezi Dictionary and the Human Sciences in China." Asia Major, Third Series, 21, no. 1 (2008): 249-71. Accessed January 26, 2021. https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41649948.
media/shuowenjiezi.jpg plain 2021-12-20T12:29:07-08:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
Compiled by the scholar and official Lu Dian 陸佃 (1042-1102) during the Northern Song dynasty, this dictionary is a supplement to the classical Examples of Refined Usage (Erya 爾雅) dictionary, the first Chinese dictionary possibly compiled during the third century BC. It complements the Erya with a glossary related to animals, plants, and astronomy. The ex libris seal on the caption title page (卷端頁) of this book is from the donor Dr. Chow Tse-tsung 周策縱 (1916-2007), a world-famous scholar on the May Fourth Movement and The Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢).
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Date/edition: Kangxi reign (1662-1722) | 清康熙間顧棫校刻本.
Rhyming Epigraphic Dictionary (Jinshi yunfu 金石韻府) is a thorough paleographic dictionary that combines characters from earlier dictionaries with a wide range of other sources, including bronze vessels and stone inscriptions. It was compiled by the Ming scholar Zhu Yun 朱雲 in 1530. Qing scholars Lin Shangkui 林尚葵 (courtesy name 字 Zhuchen 朱臣) and Li Gen 李根 (courtesy name 字 Aling 阿靈) compiled and corrected this expanded edition, which was printed in two colors in black and red (朱墨套印) in 1670. The ex libris seal 南陵徐乃昌校勘經籍記 on the caption title page (卷端頁) of the book is from Xu Naichang 徐乃昌 (1869-1943), a well-known collector and scholar in the late Qing and Republican periods.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1670 | 康熙九年.
Extended Rhymes (Guangyun 廣韻) is a rhyming dictionary first published in 1011 by order of the Emperor Zhenzong 真宗 (968-1022) of the Northern Song dynasty. It is a revised and expanded edition of earlier rhyming dictionaries, including Cut Rhymes (Qieyun 切韻) and Rhymes from the Tang dynasty (Tangyun 唐韻) published during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) periods. As only fragments of the earlier works have survived, Guangyun becomes the oldest complete copy of the Chinese rhyming dictionary and is essential to the study of Chinese phonology.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Preface date: 1704 | 康熙四十三年.
This book analyzed the phonetic use of characters in the two monumental official histories, The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji 史記) by the greatest Han dynasty historian Sima Qian 司馬遷 (145?-86? BC) and The Book of Han (Hanshu 漢書) by the noteworthy Eastern Han dynasty historian and poet Ban Gu 班固 (32-92 AD). The author Lou Ji 婁機 (1133-1211) was a notable calligrapher and official of the Southern Song dynasty who had held the post of Vice Grand Councilor (參知政事) during the Emperor Ningzong 寧宗 (1168-1224) period. USC's copy was published by the Collectanea Library (叢書樓) in the mid-18th century (late Kangxi 康熙 to early Qianlong 乾隆 reigns of the Qing dynasty). The Collectanea Library was founded by Ma Yueguan 馬曰琯‎ (1688–1755) and his younger brother Ma Yuelu 馬曰璐‎ (1701-1761). The Ma brothers were notable poets and bibliophiles during the early Qing dynasty and were known as “The Two Mas of Yangzhou (揚州二馬)" for their literary achievements.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: Mid-18th Century (Late Kangxi to early Qianlong reigns) | 清馬氏叢書樓刻本.
Illustrated Commentary on the Artificers' Record 考工記圖[二卷] (1779) 15
Originally a chapter in the Confucian classic Rites of Zhou (Zhouli 周禮), Artificers' Record (Kao Gong Ji 考工記) is the earliest treatise on science and technology in ancient China, compiled approximately around the fifth century BC. It contains descriptions of techniques and technologies used by various craftsmen and artificers in ancient China, such as the manufacture of chariots and weapons, the making of pottery and musical instruments, and the planning of cities. This illustrated commentary on Kao Gong Ji was compiled by Dai Zhen 戴震 (1724-1777), a most prominent scholar and philosopher in the Qing dynasty. USC's copy is part of the A Posthumous Collection of Works by Dai Zhen (Daishi yishu 戴氏遺書), which was printed in the Jihai year of the Qianlong reign 乾隆己亥 (1779).
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1779 | 清乾隆己亥微波榭叢書本.

Further Reading:
- Wen, Renjun. Ancient Chinese Encyclopedia of Technology: Translation and Annotation of the Kaogong ji (the Artificers' Record). New York: Routledge, 2013.
media/kaogongjitu.jpg plain 2021-03-12T16:40:26-08:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
Exegetical Evidence for the Explanation of Words 釋名疏證八卷 (1790) 8
Explanation of Words (Shiming 釋名) is the first Chinese etymological dictionary compiled by Liu Xi 劉熙 during the late Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD). This book is a commentary with verification written by Bi Yuan 畢沅 (1730-1797), a well-known official and scholar of the high Qing period.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1790 | 清乾隆五十五年經訓堂刻正字本.

Further Reading:
- Bodman, Nicholas Cleaveland. A Linguistic Study of the Shih Ming: Initials and Consonant Clusters. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954.
media/shimingshuzheng.jpg plain 2021-03-12T16:47:08-08:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
This dictionary consists of the variant forms of seal script characters and is arranged by rhyme. It was first compiled by Min Qiji 閔齊伋 (b. 1580), an outstanding publisher of the Ming dynasty in 1661 and then collated by the Qing calligrapher Bi Hongshu 畢宏 [避"弘"字諱] 述 in 1720. The ex libris seal on the caption title page (卷端頁) of the book is from Wu Lisheng 吳麗生, a Qing scholar awarded with juren 舉人 in 1864.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1795 | 清乾隆六十年刻本.
This dictionary of characters was originally compiled by Li Wenzhong 李文仲 during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). As a supplement to the rhyming dictionaryLeiyun 類韻 compiled by his uncle Li Shiying 李世英, it was intended to provide a correct pronunciation, form, and meaning for each character in the dictionary. USC's copy is a later edition corrected by Xu Lian 許槤 (1787-1862), a renowned philologist, book collector, calligrapher, official, and publisher of the late Qing dynasty. It was beautifully engraved and printed by Xu's Yanjing shushu 揅經書塾, a major publisher during the Daoguang 道光 reign (1820-1850). USC's copy still retains his seals on the cover page (內封面) and at the end of the preface, which implies that it is a first impression (初印本), and therefore, a treasure in the Chinese rare book collection.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1825 | 清道光五年許槤揅經書塾刻本.
This Confucian evidential research study was written by Liu Wenqi 刘文淇 (1789-1854), a Classics scholar (經學家) of the late Qing dynasty. It includes a part of Liu's evidential scholarship on the Commentary of Zuo (Zuozhuan 左傳), as he did not complete his comprehensive research before his death. His work was continued by his son Liu Yusong 劉毓崧 (1818-1867), grandsons Liu Shouzeng 劉壽曾‎ (1838–1882) and Liu Guizeng 劉貴曾‎ (1845–1898), and finally, great-grandson Liu Shipei 劉師培‎ (1884–1919) who was a prominent Classics scholar, pioneer Chinese anarchist, and revolutionary activist during the late Qing and Republican periods.
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Cover date: 1838 (First month of spring of wuxu year 戊戌孟春).
Stone Classics (Shi Jing 石經) are stone engravings of the Confucian classics. The practice of carving ancient Confucian classics on stone started during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD), which was intended to establish and preserve standard editions. This book includes Shi Jing from the Eastern Han to Jin 金 (1115-1234) dynasties. It was written by Gui Fu 桂馥 (1736-1805), an eminent evidential research scholar, poet, calligrapher, and seal carver of the mid-Qing period.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1883 | 清光緒九年海豐吴氏陳州郡齋刻本.
Jade Chapters (Yupian 玉篇) is a dictionary of characters compiled in 543 by the noted philologist, historian, and painter Gu Yewang 顧野王 (519–581) during the Liang 梁 dynasty (502–557). It follows the Explaining single-component Graphs and Analyzing compound Characters (Shuowen jiezi 說文解字) tradition to arrange Chinese characters by radicals (部首). The original version of Yupian was hand-copied during the Tang dynasty (618-907), but only a fragment is preserved and kept in Japan. Printed on traditional Japanese kozo paper, USC's copy is an exquisite facsimile edition of the Yan 言 radical section from the surviving fragment of the Tang manuscript. It was published by the diplomat Li Shuchang 黎庶昌 (1837-1897) while he served as Consul in Tokyo from 1881 to 1890.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1884 (Tenth year of the Guangxu reign 光緒十年) | 古逸叢書本.
The Classic of Filial Piety (Xiaojing 孝經) is a Confucian classic focusing on the concept of filiality and its importance to family, community, morals, and politics. It has far-reaching impacts on familial and social relationships in China. USC's copy was printed in great seal script (大篆體) around 1885 and is a first impression (初印本). It is arguably a unique edition of Xiaojing, as it is not included in Zhongguo guji zong mu 中國古籍總目 (Beijing: Zhong hua shu ju, 2009-2013).
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Preface date: 1885 (Eleventh year of the Guangxu reign 光緒十一年). Edition: 清末刻本.
Commentary and Corrections to the Sweated [Bamboo] Strips 汗簡箋正七卷 (1889) 12
Sweated [Bamboo] Strips (Hanjian 汗簡) is a paleographic dictionary compiled by Guo Zhongshu 郭忠恕 (d. 977), a well-known painter, calligrapher and paleographer of the Five Dynasties 五代 (907-960) and early Song dynasty. The compilation follows the Explaining single-component Graphs and Analyzing compound Characters (Shuowen jiezi 說文解字) tradition to arrange Chinese characters by radicals (部首), and it draws on a variety of seventy-one textual sources, such as Shuowen jiezi, Confucian classics like Ancient Book of Documents (Gu shangshu 古尚書) and Ancient Book of Changes (Gu zhouyi 古周易), and inscriptions from stone steles. Commentary and Corrections to the Sweated Strips (Hanjian jianzheng 汗簡箋正), the first in-depth evidential research on Hanjian , was written by Zheng Zhen 鄭珍, a scholar of late Qing dynasty. The ex libris seal "獨山莫繩孫字仲武印" on the displayed page comes from Mo Shengsun 莫繩孫 (c. 1844-1919; courtesy name 字 Zhongwu 仲武), second son of Mo Youzhi 莫友芝 (1811-1871) who was a prestigious late Qing scholar, book collector and bibliophile.
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Printer's colophon (牌記) date: 1889 (Jichou year of the Guangxu reign 光緒屠維赤奮若, i.e. 光緒己丑年). Edition: 影印石印本.

Further Reading:
- Hay, Jonathan. “Guo Zhongshu's Archaeology of Writing.” Journal of Chinese History 3, no. 2 (2019): 233–324. doi:10.1017/jch.2018.39.
media/hanjianjianzheng.jpg plain 2021-03-30T16:14:48-07:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries

This page references:

Spring and Autumn Annals - Commentary of Zuo 春秋左傳十五卷 (1616) Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu 春秋), one of the Five Classics (Wujing 五經 ) of Confucianism, is the first Chinese chronological history which covers the years from 722 BC to 479 BC. The Commentary of Zuo (Zuozhuan 左傳), a commentary to the Chunqiu, contains more complete and rich accounts and thus has been regarded as the prime source of the ancient history of China. The Chunqiu and Zuozhuan were often edited together during the later years of the Ming dynasty. This USC's edition includes annotations by the Ming official and scholar Sun Kuang 孫鑛 (1543-1613; courtesy name 字 Yuefeng 月峰) and is an excellent example of two-color printing in black and red (朱墨套印) in the late Ming dynasty.
Date: 1616 (Bingchen year of the Wanli reign 萬曆丙辰) . Edition: 朱墨套印本.