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Eastern Culture Nucleus: Chinese Rare Books in the USC Libraries

Woodblock 雕版印刷

Illustrations of Bronze and Stone (Jinshi tu 金石圖), donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski and printed during the Qianlong 乾隆 reign (1736-1795) of Qing dynasty, contains rubbings and commentaries of bronze and stone inscriptions from the ancient Zhou (1046-256 BCE) to Tang (618-907) dynasties. The rubbings in the book were meticulously engraved by Chu Jun 褚峻 (courtesy name 字 Qianfeng 千峰; active 18th century), a highly-skilled engraver and an expert in epigraphy (金石學). The inscriptions were annotated by Niu Yunzhen 牛運震 (1706-1758; courtesy name 字 Jieping 階平), an early Qing scholar, educator, and administrator.

Further Reading:

Tseng, Lillian Lan-ying. "Between Printing and Rubbing: Chu Jun′s Illustrated Catalogues of Ancient Monuments in Eighteenth-century China." In Reinventing the Past: Antiquarianism and Archaism in Chinese Art and Visual Culture, edited by Wu Hung, 255-290. Chicago: Center for the Art of East Asia, Dept. of Art History, University of Chicago, 2010.

Other Fine Examples of Woodblock Printing from the Chinese Rare Book Collection:

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Biography of Zhang Yi 張儀列傳 (1515) 9
This is the earliest dated Chinese rare book in the USC Libraries, a biography of the influential itinerant political strategist (縱橫家) Zhang Yi 張儀 (d. 310 BC) of the Warring States (475-221 BC) period and a chapter from the rare 1515 edition of The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji 史記) of the Ming Dynasty (明正德十年白鹿洞書院刊本). Zhang traveled among the states and helped Qin (秦) State to dissolve the unity of the other states, paving the way for Qin to unify China in 221 BC. This book is bound in butterfly binding (蝴蝶裝), which is the earliest known form of binding for printed books in China, developed during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). In butterfly binding, printed sheets are folded inwards and pasted together at the fold, enabling pairs of printed and blank pages to alternate throughout the book.
The Records of the Grand Historian, written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of the greatest Han dynasty historian Sima Qian 司馬遷 (145?-86? BC), in which he recounted Chinese history from the era of the Yellow Emperor (黃帝) until his own time. As the first systematic Chinese historical text, the Records profoundly influenced Chinese historiography and prose.
Date/Edition: 1515 | 明正德十年白鹿洞書院刊本.

Further Reading:
- Durrant, Stephen W. The Cloudy Mirror: Tension and Conflict in the Writings of Sima Qian. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995.
media/Zhang Yi.jpg plain 2022-01-28T12:27:03-08:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
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.
Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101; courtesy name 字 Zizhan 子瞻, literary name 號 Dongpo 東坡) was a preeminent scholar, writer, poet, painter, calligrapher, and statesman in the Northern Song dynasty. USC's copy is the original edition published by Mao Wei 茅維 (1575-1640?; courtesy name 字 Xiaoruo 孝若), a historian, poet, and dramatist of the late Ming dynasty. The ex libris seals on the caption title page (卷端頁) of this book 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 (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢).
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Date/edition: Between 1606 (Bingwu year of the Wanli reign 萬曆丙午) and 1620 | 明萬曆間茅維刻本.
Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101; courtesy name 字 Zizhan 子瞻, literary name 號 Dongpo 東坡) was a preeminent scholar, writer, poet, painter, calligrapher, and statesman in the Northern Song dynasty. USC's copy is a selection of Su's poems by Tan Yuanchun 譚元春 (1586-1637; courtesy name 字 Youxia 友夏), a late Ming poet, writer, and literary critic who was one of the founders of the Jingling School (竟陵派).
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1621 (First year of the Tianqi reign 天啟元年) | 明天啟文盛堂刻本.
Miscellaneous Morsels from the South Slope of You Mount 酉陽雜俎二十卷 ; 酉陽雜俎續集十卷 (1628-1644) 20
This miscellany was written by Duan Chengshi 段成式‎ (d. 863; courtesy name 字 Kegu 柯古), a poet, writer, and civil officer during the Tang dynasty. It includes a wide range of subjects, such as natural phenomena, dreams, Buddhist stories, social practices, Daoist immortals, flora and fauna, anecdotes, medical prescriptions, wine, and food. USC's copy was collated and 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. It is part of the ninth series of his collectanea entitled Jindai Mishu 津逮祕書 (See 中國叢書綜録, I, p. 56).
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: Chongzhen 崇禎 reign (1628-1644) | 明毛氏汲古閣刻本.

Further Reading:
- Reed, Carrie E. "Motivation and Meaning of a 'Hodge-podge': Duan Chengshi's 'Youyang Zazu'."Journal of the American Oriental Society 123, no. 1 (2003): 121-45. DOI:10.2307/3217847.
- _____. A Tang Miscellany: An Introduction to Youyang Zazu. New York: Peter Lang, 2003.
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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
This multi-volume catalogue of bronze and stone inscriptions ranging from ancient times to the Five Dynasties (907-960) was 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. The ex libris 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 (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢); and Wu Chongxi 吳重憙 (1838-after 1911; literary name 號 Shilian 石蓮), a politician, connoisseur of epigraphy (金石學) and collector of the late Qing and Republican periods.
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Date/edition: 1650 | 清順治七年謝世箕刻本.
Water Margin with Critical Commentaries and Illustrations 評論出像水滸傳二十卷七十回 (1657) 13
Water Margin (Shui hu zhuan 水滸傳), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, tells about how a group of 108 outlaws gathered in the area of Mount Liang 梁山 and led an army of rebels to fight against the corrupt imperial government at the end of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Shi Nai'an 施耐庵 (ca. 1290-1365) is believed to have compiled the initial version of this novel during the Yuan dynasty. USC's copy is an early facsimile (翻刻) of the 1657 illustrated edition of Water Margin commented by Jin Shengtan 金聖歎 (1608-1661), a prominent literary critic and writer active during the late Ming and early Qing periods, along with an additional preface and commentary by Wang Wangru 王望如 (literary name 號 Tong'an laoren 桐菴老人).
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Preface Date: 1657 (Dingyou year of the Shunzhi reign 順治丁酉). Edition: 清刻本.

Further Reading:
- Altenburger, Roland. "Appropriating Genius: Jin Shengtan’s Construction of Textual Authority and Authorship in His Commented Edition of Shuihu Zhuan (The Water Margin Saga)." In That Wonderful Composite Called Author: Authorship in East Asian Literatures from the Beginnings to the Seventeenth Century, edited by Christian Schwermann and Raji C. Steineck, 163-194. Leiden: Brill, 2014. Accessed February 17, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
- Smith, Paul Jakov. "Shuihu Zhuan and the Military Subculture of the Northern Song, 960-1127." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 66, no. 2 (2006): 363-422. Accessed January 26, 2021. https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25066819.
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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), an esteemed patriot, philosopher, and philologist in the late Ming and early Qing periods and the founder of School of Han Learning (漢學派). USC's copy may be part of the collectanea entitled Tinglin yishu shizhong 亭林遺書十種. The ex libris seal 東園藏書 on the caption title page (卷端頁) 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: Between 1662 and 1708 | Mid-Kangxi 康熙 reign.
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.
The True Meaning of The Journey to the West 西遊眞詮一百回 (1696) 32
The Journey to the West (Xi you ji 西遊記), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, is a supernatural novel adapted from a travel account entitled The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Datang xiyu ji 大唐西域記) and composed by the renowned Buddhist master Xuanzang 玄奘 (c. 602-664) of the Tang dynasty. Xuanzang took a historical trip from China to India from 629 to 645, intending to obtain Buddhist scriptures written in the original Sanskrit language. Wu Cheng'en 吳承恩 (c. 1500-c.1582), a Ming novelist and poet, is generally acknowledged as the author of The Journey to the West, who added mythical and legendary figures, such as Monkey King (孫悟空), Xuanzang's first and most artful and powerful disciple. USC's copy is a popular commentary edition from the early Qing dynasty, annotated and abridged by the critic Chen Shibing 陳士斌 (active 17th century; literary name 號 Wuyizi 悟一子), along with an additional commentary by Jin Shengtan 金聖歎 (1608-1661), a prominent literary critic and writer of the late Ming and early Qing periods.
Donated by Dr. Chow Tse-tsung. Preface date: 1696 (Bingzi year of the Kangxi reign 康熙丙子). Edition: 清刻本.

Further Reading:
- Shao, Ping. "Huineng, Subhūti, and Monkey's Religion in Xiyou Ji." The Journal of Asian Studies 65, no. 4 (2006): 713-40. Accessed January 26, 2021. https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25076127.
media/xiyouzhenquan.jpg plain 2021-03-14T17:44:30-07:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
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 encyclopedic work, commissioned by the Kangxi 康熙 Emperor (1654-1722) of the Qing dynasty, consists of a comprehensive collection of quotations from classics, official histories, miscellanies, rare titles, and other works on painting and calligraphy. It draws on a wide variety of 1,844 textual sources held by the Palace Treasury (内府) and other places. Sun Yueban 孫岳頒 (1639-1708), a noted calligrapher and official, served as the editor-in-chief. One of the chief compilers was Wang Yuanqi 王原祁 (1642–1715), the youngest of the preeminent four Wang painters during the Qing dynasty. USC’s copy was published by the Yangzhou Poetry Office (Yangzhou shiju 揚州詩局) on behalf of the palace, and it was printed by Jinyongtang (内封題: 賜板通行/静永堂藏). Yangzhou Poetry Office was founded by Cao Yin 曹寅, the grandfather of Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹 who was the author of The Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1708 | 清康熙四十七年揚州詩局刻静永堂印本.
This anthology of poems on objects was compiled by Yu Yan 俞琰 (active 18th century; courtesy name 字 Changren 長仁) around 1725 (Yisi year [of the Yongzheng reign] [雍正]乙巳) according to the colophon. It is a good example of early 18th-century printing. 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: 1725 (Yisi year [of the Yongzheng reign] [雍正]乙巳) | 清雍正三年寧儉堂刻本.
Ink Pond Anthology 墨池編二十卷 (1733) 36
This book is an anthology of historical texts and treatises on various aspects of calligraphy, organized into eight categories such as studies of characters (字學), brush techniques (筆法), stele inscriptions (碑刻), evaluations (品藻) and tools (器用). Zhu Changwen 朱長文 (1039-1098), a well-known scholar, calligrapher, and expert of zither (琴), compiled the textual collection during the Northern Song dynasty. It is considered one of the most important pre-Song works on calligraphic studies. USC's copy is a revised edition published in 1733 (Guichou year of the Yongzheng reign 雍正癸丑), together with the Seal Thesaurus (Yindian 印典八卷) compiled by Zhu Xiangxian 朱象賢 (active 17th century). The large honorific seal on the cover page (內封面), consisting of the four characters "進呈御覽 (Presented to the emperor for review)" and a motif of two dragons playing with a pearl (雙龍戲珠), was most likely stamped by Zhu Changwen's descendants during the Qing dynasty. According to the preface written by the notable Qing poet and literary critic Shen Deqian 沈德潛 (1673-1769) for Zhu's monograph entitled History of Zither (Qinshi 琴史), they presented four of Zhu's works, including the Ink Pond Anthology and History of Zither, to the Qianlong 乾隆 emperor (1711-1799) for review during his fourth southern inspection tour (南巡) in 1765.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1733 | 清雍正十三年就閒堂刻本.

Further Reading:
- De Laurentis, Pietro. "The 'Forbidden Classic of the Fade Hall': A Study of an Eleventh-century Compendium on Calligraphic Technique." Asia Major, Third Series, 24, no. 2 (2011): 113-46. Accessed February 7, 2021. https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41650012.
- Chen, Zhi-ping 陳志平. "A Trace to the Source: The Qing Block-Printed Editions of Mochi Bian 清刻本《墨池編》版本源流考述." Taida Journal of Art History 國立臺灣大學美術史研究集刊 45 (2018): i-ii+159-183+185-188+280. DOI: 10.6541/TJAH.201809_(45).0004
media/mochibian.jpg plain 2021-12-20T18:12:45-08:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
Sima Guang 司馬光 (1019-1086; posthumous title Wenzheng 文正) was a distinguished historian and statesman in the Northern Song dynasty. Especially, he compiled the monumental Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government (Zizhi tongjian 資治通鑑), the first comprehensive chronicle of Chinese history covering the period between 403 BC and 959 AD. USC's copy, printed from blocks first engraved in 1744 and then reprinted in 1790, is a revised and corrected edition by Qiao Renjie 喬人傑 (1740-1804; courtesy name 字 Hansan 漢三), a Qing civilian official and one of two primary escorts of the British Macartney mission to China from 1793 to 1794, and others.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1744 | 清乾隆甲子 [1744] 刻乾隆五十五年 [1790] 重修本.
The Comprehensive Mirror of Encyclopedias (Yuanjian Leihan 淵鑑類函) is a voluminous encyclopedia compiled by the renowned officials and scholars Zhang Ying 張英 (1637-1708), Wang Shizhen 王士槙 (1634-1711) and others on order of the Kangxi 康熙 Emperor (1654-1722) of the Qing dynasty. This comprehensive encyclopedia contains classical quotations from various types of literature from ancient times to 1556, covering a wide range of topics related to traditional Chinese knowledge such as astronomy, politics, society, art, religion, animals, plants, and many others.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: A reduced-size edition of the Guxiang Studio 古香齋 made by the Palace Wuying Hall in 1748 | 乾隆十三年武英殿內府刻本. USC's copy retains the original imperial binding and is a treasure in the Chinese rare book collection.
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.
The Yizheng House Revised Illustrated Catalogue of Antique Objects from the Xuanhe Hall 亦政堂重修宣和博古圖錄三十卷 (1752) 14
Illustrated Catalogue of Antique Objects from the Xuanhe Hall (Xuanhe bogu tu 宣和博古圖), completed towards the end of the Xuanhe 宣和 era (1119-1125) of the Northern Song dynasty, includes over 800 bronze objects from the imperial Xuanhe Hall 宣和殿. This revised edition was printed by the noted book collector Huang Sheng 黃晟 (courtesy name 字 Xiaofeng 曉峰; studio name 室名 Yizheng tang 亦政堂) and published together with Kaogu tu 考古圖十卷 and Guyu tu 古玉圖二卷 during the Qianlong 乾隆 reign (1736-1795) of the Qing dynasty.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1752 | 明萬曆刻清乾隆壬申亦政堂重修本.

Further Reading:
- Hsu, Ya-hwei. "Antiquities, Ritual Reform, and the Shaping of New Taste at Huizong's Court." Artibus Asiae 73, no. 1 (2013): 137-80. Accessed January 26, 2021. https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24240770.
media/bogutu.jpg plain 2022-04-05T14:42:32-07:00 Link to the catalog record in the USC Libraries
This is a massive descriptive catalogue of both lost and extant works in the Confucian classics ranging from ancient times to the early Qing dynasty. It was compiled by Zhu Yizun 朱彜尊 (1629-1709), an eminent Classics scholar (經學家) and prolific poet who played a leading role in reviving the ci 詞 poetry (song lyrics) during the early Qing period. Zhu intended to include 300 juan 卷, but only completed 297 of them in 1701. He only published 167 juan in 1705 in his lifetime. A complete and expanded edition was published in 1755 by Lu Jianzeng 盧見曾 (1690-1768), a well-known scholar and official of the Qing dynasty.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Preface date: 1755 (Twentieth year of the Qianlong reign 乾隆二十年).
This book consists of three epigraphic studies from the Yuan to early Qing periods, namely Examples of Bronze and Stone Inscriptions (Jinshi li 金石例十卷) compiled by the Yuan official and geographer Pan Angxiao 潘昂霄 (active 1246-1340; literary name 號 Cangya 蒼崖), Select Examples of Epitaphs (Muming juli 墓銘舉例四卷) compiled by the Ming scholar Wang Xing 王行 (1331-1395; courtesy name 字 Zhizhong 止仲), and Essential Examples of Bronze and Stone Inscriptions (Jinshi yaoli 金石要例一卷) compiled by the prominent early Qing intellectual Huang Zongxi 黃宗羲 (1610-1695; literary name 號 Lizhou 梨洲). Jinshi li is the first in-depth research on the literary styles of stele inscriptions (碑文) in China. Huang Zongxi is one of the most influential scholars, Confucian philosophers, and political activists during the Ming-Qing transition period.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Cover date: 1755 (Yihai year of the Qianlong reign 乾隆乙亥).
This encyclopedia was compiled by Chai Shaobing 柴紹炳 (1616-1670; literary name 號 Xingxuan 省軒), a poet and connoisseur of antiquities during the Qing dynasty. The categories in the compendium include astronomy and calendars, suburban rites and sacrifices, geography, education, and government offices.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1758 | 內封題乾隆戊寅文盛堂藏版.
This book is a critical commentary on the Model Calligraphy from the Imperial Archives of the Chunhua Reign (Chunhua Mige fatie 淳化祕閣法帖), and it was written by the Qing calligrapher and official Wang Shu 王澍 (1668-1743). Considered as the earliest collection of Chinese calligraphy, Chunhua Mige fatie was compiled in 992, the third year of the Chunhua 淳化 reign (990-995) by order of the Emperor Taizong 太宗 (939-997) of the Northern Song dynasty.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1768 | 清乾隆三十三年蘭言齋刻嘉慶十四年印本.
These anthologies of poems and writings were authored by Yuan Mei 袁枚 (1716-1797; courtesy name 字 Zicai 子才), a prestigious poet, writer, calligrapher and painter of the Qing dynasty. Xiaocang shanfang 小倉山房 (Studio of Mt. Xiaocang) is his studio name. The ex libris seal on the caption title page (卷端頁) of the poetry anthology 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. Preface date: 1796 (Jichou year of the Qianlong reign 乾隆己丑).
Illustrated Catalogue of Ancient Jades
古玉圖譜一百卷 (1779) 12
This voluminous book was purportedly claimed to be a catalogue of jades from the imperial collection of the Emperor Xiaozong 孝宗 (1127-1194) of the Southern Song dynasty, but it is considered by scholars as a forgery 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 | 清乾隆四十四年江春康山草堂刻本.

Further Reading:
- Wilson, Ming. "What Do Books Tell Us about Their Buyers—A Case Study of the Guyu Tupu." In The Art of the Book in China, edited by Ming Wilson and Stacey Pierson, 105 –15. London: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 2006.
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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.
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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.
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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 catalogue of antiquities was compiled by Wang Qiu 王俅 (active 1176) during the Southern Song dynasty. It contains inscriptions on bronze objects, mirrors, and seals dating from the Shang (1600-1046 BCE) to Tang (618-907) dynasties. USC's copy is an excellent mid-Qing edition collated by Zhang Rongjing 張蓉鏡 (active 19th century) who also added two volumes of Investigation of Discrepancies (Kaoyi 考異) to the catalogue. 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. The other ex libris seal here is from Zhou Guoyi 周國頤, a late Qing official, scholar, and physician.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/Edition: 1811 | 清嘉慶十七年鴛湖張氏醉經堂刻本.
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.
Sanhuai Studio Collated Edition Twenty-two Masters' Books 三槐堂校栞廿二種子書 (1833?) 15
This collectanea comprises a collection of twenty-two masters' books written and annotated by lesser-known authors from the Warring States (475-221 BC) period to the Ming dynasty. It covers various subjects, such as divination, Daoism, Buddhism, agriculture, filiality, and loyalty. The displayed page comes from the book entitled Commentary to the Scripture of Embryonic Breathing (Taixijing shu 胎息經疏一卷) and written by Wang Wenlu 王文禄 possibly during the Jiajing 嘉靖 reign (1522-1566) of the Ming dynasty. Taixijing is a Daoist canon on alchemical breathing practices, completed probably before the Eastern Jin 東晉 dynasty (317-420). USC's copy lacks the relevant bibliographic information pages (such as preface and printer's colophon), and therefore, cannot be accurately dated. It may be plausibly the same edition as 廿二子全書 (清王纕堂編), 清道光十三年[1833]王氏棠蔭館刻本.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date: Uncertain (1833?).

Further Reading:
- Pregadio, Fabrizio. "Chinese Alchemy. An Annotated Bibliography of Works in Western Languages. 2. Studies of Alchemical Texts and Authors." Monumenta Serica 44 (1996): 454-65. Accessed February 4, 2021. https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40727097.
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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).
Essentials of Medicine 醫學精要八卷 (1867) 11
This eight-volume set is a medical book focusing on pediatric symptoms, diseases, and prescriptions. It was written by Huang Yan 黃嚴 (c. 1751-1830; courtesy name 字 Junshou 峻壽), a doctor, poet, and writer of the Qing dynasty. Huang completed the medical book in 1800 and used it as a textbook for his disciples.
Date/edition: 1867 | 同治六年廣州永漢路登雲閣藏板.

Further Reading:
- Bretelle-Establet, Florence. "Learning and Teaching Medicine in Late Imperial China." In Scientific Sources and Teaching Contexts Throughout History: Problems and Perspectives, edited by Alain Bernard and Christine Proustrouse, 273-301. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014. Accessed February 4, 2021. https://doi-org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1007/978-94-007-5122-4_11.
- "Huang Yan 黄岩." In Hua shuo guo yi: Guangdong juan 话说国医: 广东卷, edited by Li Shuchun 李姝淳 and Liu Xiaobin 刘小斌主, 67-70. Zhengzhou: Henan ke xue ji shu chu ban she, 2017.
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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.
This four-volume set, published during the late Qing dynasty, is a rare historical travel guide to the West Lake in Hangzhou 杭州, China. It records the couplets of Qing emperors, officials, and scholars in the temporary imperial palaces, historical sites, temples, academies, tombs, and other places around the West Lake. At the end of the fourth volume, there are four itineraries of the West Lake and tide tables of the Qiantang 錢塘 River in the Qing dynasty, which are valuable sources for the study of the historical landscape and development of the West Lake and the surrounding areas. The cover page (內封面) of the first volume includes the book price (si jiao 四角) and an ex libris seal "真州吳氏有福讀書堂藏書" from the collector Wu Yinsun 吳引孫 (1848-1917) active during the late Qing and early Republican periods.
Cover date: 1889 (Jichou year of the Guangxu reign 光緒己丑).
Talking about Stone [Inscriptions] 語石十卷 (1909) 12
This is the first comprehensive research on stone inscriptions with a wide coverage of historical periods, geographic locations, and subjects. Particularly, it includes steles from other countries and regions (such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Europe, and Africa) and expands the scope from steles to a wide variety of types of stone inscriptions, including bridges and pillars, well fences, stone figures, and lions. The author Ye Changchi 葉昌熾 (1849-1917) was a notable book collector and scholar of epigraphy (金石學) during the late Qing and Republican periods.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date/edition: 1909 | 清宣統元年自刻本.

Further Reading:
- Ma, Hongju 马洪菊. Ye Changchi yu Qing mo Min chu jin shi xue 葉昌熾与清末民初金石学. Beijing: Min zu chu ban she, 2014.
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Illustrations of Bronze and Stone 金石圖 (1736-1795) 22
This four-volume set contains rubbings and commentaries of ancient bronze and stone inscriptions from the ancient Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE) to the Tang dynasty (618-907). The rubbings in the book were meticulously engraved by Chu Jun 褚峻 (courtesy name 字 Qianfeng 千峰; active 18th century), a highly-skilled engraver and an expert in epigraphy (金石學). The inscriptions were annotated by Niu Yunzhen 牛運震 (1706-1758; courtesy name 字 Jieping 階平), an early Qing scholar, educator, and administrator.
Donated by Dr. Peter Marie Suski. Date: Qianlong 乾隆 reign (1736-1795).

Further Reading:
- Tseng, Lillian Lan-ying. "Between Printing and Rubbing: Chu Jun′s Illustrated Catalogues of Ancient Monuments in Eighteenth-century China." In Reinventing the Past: Antiquarianism and Archaism in Chinese Art and Visual Culture, edited by Wu Hung, 255-290. Chicago: Center for the Art of East Asia, Dept. of Art History, University of Chicago, 2010.
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