A Register of Famous Incenses

叶廷圭Jul 2024

3.1

Word count: 1.1K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their character and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Mingxiang Pu belongs to the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts." Its value lies not in exotic incense recipes but in preserving, with incense as a thread, the aesthetic of daily life and the material cultural memory of the ancients. The content compiled by Ye Tinggui mostly concerns the origins, properties, anecdotes, and evaluations of incense materials. The writing is concise and has the essayistic quality of note-form writing; in reading it, one can glimpse how traditional literati used incense for self-cultivation, entertaining guests, and expressing feelings. This edition preserves the appearance of the original book and is suitable as primary material for understanding ancient incense culture, rather than as a modern manual for making incense. Its strengths are its modest length and clear entries; it can be browsed at random or read alongside topics such as tea, flowers, and study furnishings. Readers should slow down; there is no need to memorize unfamiliar incense names. First sense the ancients' feel for classification and appreciation; with annotations or reference works, one can better appreciate the layers of names, objects, and allusions. Overall, it suits readers interested in traditional culture and the history of everyday customs, to be read closely in a quiet setting at one's desk.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Traditional culture enthusiasts interested in ancient incense culture and the study of names and objects
Readers who enjoy short note-form entries and browsing at random
People engaged in lifestyle aesthetics such as tea, flowers, and study aesthetics
Writers who need to understand traditional incense anecdotes and the language of appreciation

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for modern incense-making recipes or practical steps
Readers expecting a systematic textbook or academic monograph on incense studies
Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced reading

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents, pick out familiar incense names or anecdotal entries, and start from points of interest.
Keep a dictionary of names and objects or an annotated edition at hand; mark unfamiliar incense names first and look them up later.
After reading several entries, jot down associated scenes of daily life, such as the study, tea table, or courtyard.
Read alongside incense literature such as Xiang Cheng and compare the selection of entries and angles of evaluation.

版权信息
名香谱
一
二

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background?

Yes, but expectations should be adjusted. It is not an introduction to modern incense-making but a compilation of ancient notes on incense. Readers with no background can treat it as a book on traditional culture, skip unfamiliar names and objects for the time being, and focus on experiencing how the ancients classified, evaluated, and associated incense with life; they need not understand every entry.

What tools should I prepare for reading this book?

It is advisable to have a dictionary of ancient names and objects or an annotated edition for looking up incense names, places of origin, and allusions; a notebook for jotting down entries of interest is also useful. If incense is completely unfamiliar, read one or two overview articles on incense culture first to establish basic context before entering the original text.

Can the incense recipes in the book be followed directly?

Directly following them is not recommended. Ancient incense recipes involve differences in measurement, processing, and raw materials, and this book focuses on records and evaluations, not operational guidance. If interested in making incense, consult modern, compliant textbooks on incense studies and proceed under safe conditions, avoiding waste or risk caused by unknown materials or improper methods.

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About the author

叶廷圭 Author

Very little is publicly known about Ye Tinggui's life. His name appears in the compilation and cataloguing of ancient Chinese writings on incense, and only one work by him survives, the Mingxiang Pu (Register of Famous Incenses). The book belongs to the traditional incense catalogue genre, recording the names, places of origin, properties, and burning and appraisal of aromatic materials, and also touching on incense formulas and the customs of incense use; it is thus an important source for understanding ancient Chinese incense culture. In subject matter it is connected with materia medica, natural history, and everyday knowledge, and its concise style and clearly arranged entries make it convenient for reference. In general bibliographies the Mingxiang Pu is classed under Eastern philosophy; although it is not a philosophical treatise in the strict sense, it reflects the old ideal of cultivating oneself through incense and expressing one's feelings through it. Because historical records are scarce, Ye Tinggui's dates, native place, and official career cannot be reliably established, and later readers know him and his learning mainly through this incense register.