Ancient Books as Cultural Relics

李开升Zhonghua Book Company · ChinaJul 2020

Rating 4.0
Word count
137K words
Chapters
21
ISBN
9787101142457

Tags

Eastern Philosophy Rare Book HeritageTextual CriticismBook Collecting HistoryBook DesignTextual StudiesAcademic PapersColorful IllustrationTextual ResearchEast-West ExchangeMing Editions

Summary

This book comprises 15 essays totaling roughly 150,000 Chinese characters, with over 70 color illustrations. It explores chiefly the history of book collecting and the study of editions after the mid-Ming formation of the idea of rare books as cultural relics. It is divided into three parts: Part One, containing 6 essays on the history of book collecting; Part Two, containing 7 essays of specialized book studies, mainly from the perspective of edition research; and Part Three, containing 2 essays. "The Influence of Ming Book Culture on the World" discusses the impact of Ming printed editions on East Asian countries through three aspects: binding, typeface, and textual content. "A Comparative Study of Chen Yuan's Examples of Textual Criticism and Paul Maas's Textual Criticism" focuses on comparisons between Chinese and Western textual scholarship.

Editor's review

At a time when digital reading prevails, The Rare Book as Cultural Relic opens a door to the world of collecting and appreciating rare books from a distinctive angle. Rather than a mere technical manual or historical survey, the book places rare books in the dimension of material culture and explores their multiple values as physical relics. Drawing on deep philological expertise and museum experience, the author Li Kaisheng deftly integrates edition studies, collecting history, and connoisseurship of cultural relics. His analyses of the material properties of rare books—paper, ink tone, binding—are especially incisive, revealing the historical information and cultural codes these details carry.

The book's core value lies in its interdisciplinary method. It breaks through the traditional philological focus on textual content and guides readers to attend to rare books as physical objects: their production techniques, transmission, and collecting marks. Through numerous concrete cases, the author shows how to authenticate editions and date them from the perspective of cultural relics, and how to interpret the historical significance of collectors' seals, colophons, and other added information. This perspective not only enriches our understanding of rare books but also offers collectors a practical guide to connoisseurship.

What is especially rare is the book's balance between professionalism and readability. The author explains specialized knowledge in plain language, with clear captions, so that non-specialist readers can appreciate the beauty of rare books. Its survey of Ming and Qing collecting fashions is a vivid cultural history, showing how rare books shifted from reading texts to collectible objects and then to vehicles of cultural transmission.

As rare-book preservation gains increasing attention today, the book has important contemporary relevance. It not only teaches us to appreciate the material beauty of rare books but also prompts us to think about how better to protect these precious relics that carry the memory of Chinese civilization. For anyone interested in traditional culture, rare-book collecting, or connoisseurship of cultural relics, this is a rare introductory and advanced reader alike.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the textual descriptions carefully against the book's illustrations to build an intuitive sense of the physical features of rare books
  2. Keep a notebook while reading to record technical terms and key points of connoisseurship, gradually building a knowledge system
  3. If possible, bring the book to museum exhibitions of rare books for hands-on comparative study

About the publisher

Zhonghua Book Company China · Founded in 1912

Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 插图目录
  3. 自序
  4. 上篇 藏书
  5. 古籍之为文物——明代出现的新型藏书家
  6. 天一阁流散书研究刍议
  7. 黄裳所藏天一阁藏书考
  8. 抗战期间天一阁藏书转移经过考述
  9. 黄丕烈题跋辑刻考述
  10. 黄丕烈题跋补遗
  11. 下篇 版本
  12. 《清异录》版本源流重考
  13. 正德刻本公案小说《包待制》残叶考
  14. 《仪礼注疏》陈凤梧本、汪文盛本补考
  15. 《万历丙辰科进士同年序齿录》辑考
  16. 万斯同《明史稿》研究述论
  17. 《古今图书集成》铜活字校样本考述
  18. 天一阁藏越南阮述《每怀吟草》稿本初探
  19. 外篇
  20. 明代书籍文化对世界的影响
  21. 试比较陈垣《校勘学释例》与保罗·马斯《校勘学》

FAQ

Can I understand this book without any background in rare-book connoisseurship? Absolutely. The author starts from basic concepts and proceeds step by step, with abundant illustrations, making it suitable for beginners. The book combines specialized knowledge with vivid cases, and the threshold is moderate.
How does this book differ from traditional works on edition studies? Traditional edition studies focus on textual collation and transmission; this book focuses on the relic attributes of rare books as physical objects, emphasizing paper, ink tone, binding, collectors' seals, and other material features, offering a more three-dimensional and pluralistic perspective.
Is the content too academic? Although based on rigorous research, the author prioritizes readability, with plain language and rich cases. Technical terms are explained, so ordinary readers can read smoothly and benefit.

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About the author

李开升 Author

Li Kaisheng is an author about whom limited public information is available. Only one of his works is currently held in the collection, titled Guji zhi wei wenwu (Ancient Books as Cultural Relics). According to the available information, the book is categorized under Eastern philosophy and centers on ancient books, discussing their nature and value as cultural relics. The title itself suggests the author's attention to the relationship between textual editions, documents, and cultural artifacts, and the writing appears to lean toward informative exposition and scholarly discussion rather than popular narrative. Since details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, education, and professional positions cannot be confirmed, it is difficult to sketch a complete biography, and no speculation about his identity should be made. Based on the currently visible material, Li Kaisheng writes for readers interested in ancient books and traditional culture, and his work offers a starting point for understanding ancient books from the perspective of cultural relics; more specific scholarly context and influence await further information.