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Eastern Culture Nucleus: Chinese Rare Books in the USC Libraries

History 史部

introduction

Other Special and Rare Editions of Titles in the History Branch:

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This multi-volume catalogue of bronze and stone inscriptions was originally compiled by Zhao Mingcheng 趙明誠 (1081-1129), a noted antiquarian and husband of the greatest woman poet Li Qingzhao 李清照 (1084-ca. 1155) of the Song dynasty (960-1279). The ex libirs seals on this contents page are 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 紅樓夢; and Wu Chongxi 吳重憙 (1838-after 1911; literary name 號 Shilian 石蓮), a politian, connoisseur of epigraphy 金石 and collector of the late Qing (1644-1911) and Republican (1911-1949) periods.
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-Tsung. Date/edition: 1650 | 清順治七年謝世箕刻本.
This is a pioneer study of around 300 inscriptions on the bronze vessels and steles from ancient times to the Ming dynasty authored by Gu Yanwu 顧炎武 (1613 – 1682). Gu was a renowned patriot, philosopher and philologist in the late Ming and eary Qing periods and was considered as the founder of School of Han Learning 漢學派. The ex libris seal 東園藏書 on the first page of this book is from Liu Kun 劉焜 (1867-1931), a politician, scholar and collector in the late Qing and Republican periods.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1662-1708 | Kangxi 康熙 reign.
Xuanhe Bo gu tu 宣和博古圖 (Illustrated Catalogue of Antique Objects from the Xuanhe Hall), completed towards the end of the Xuanhe 宣和 era ( 1119-1125) of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), includes over 800 bronze objects from the imperial Xuanhe Hall 宣和殿. This revised edition was printed by Huang Sheng 黃晟 (courtesy name 字 Xiaofeng 曉峰; house name 室名 Yizheng tang 亦政堂 ), a book collector and publisher during the Qianlong 乾隆 reign (1736-1795) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1752 | 明萬曆刻清乾隆壬申 (1752) 亦政堂重修本.
This voluminous book was purportedly claimed to be a catalogue of jades from the imperial collection of Emperor Xiaozong 孝宗 (1127-1194) of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), but it is considered by scholars as a forgery which was published by Jiang Chun 江春 in 1779. Although this multi-volume set contains some incorrect information, it includes a detailed description for each object and thus is still regarded as a useful reference book for the study of Chinese jades.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1779 | 清乾隆四十四年 (1779) 江春康山草堂刻本.