Object labels

Gu Yanwu

Jiangsu, China, 1613-1682

Five Treatises on Phonology, 1643

Woodblock imprint

China: unknown publisher

Han Chinese scholar Gu Yanwu was revered for his loyalty to the fallen Ming Dynasty, and for his contribution to the empirical research method, which was one of the two major trends of scholarship in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Five Treatises on Phonology is a representative work of this method; it aimed at recovering lost poetic rhythms from extant Confucian classics. The work also had political implications too; Gu believed that educated government officials could work more harmoniously if they adopted a shared understanding of Confucianism. He sought to implement this by applying a uniform system of phonological pronunciations to the Confucian canon.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 5120 K391

Pound, Ezra (translator)

United States of America, 1885-1908; England and Europe, 1908-1972

The Great Digest: and, The Unwobbling Pivot, 1952

London: Owen, 1952

Ezra Pound was given the notes of deceased academic Ernest Fenollosa in 1913 by his widow, Mary McNeil Fenollosa. These encouraged his interest in Chinese literature, particularly the writings of Confucius. Although Pound didn’t read Chinese well, he nevertheless undertook to translate works into English, often re-interpreting Confucian texts in a manner he felt would be more politically potent to modern Western audiences.

Rare Books Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/ER 53A

Daozi Wu (Attributed artist)

Chinese 689-759

Praising the greatness of Ancient Master Confucius' teaching

c.1912-1949

Stone rubbing

There is no contemporary portrait of Confucius recorded, however, this image which depicts the philosopher as a wise old man with hands clasped, has become a recognisable prototype. The rubbing was made from a stele or marker, at the Temple of Confucius, Qufu, Shandong Province. The Temple features hundreds of stelea which share the teachings of Confucius and impressions made by ink rubbing have the ability to spread Confucianism more broadly.

Harry Simon Collection, donated by the Asia Institute in 2009

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA Harry Simon, 6178 W631

Unknown Artist

Chinese

The Confucius Family Cemetery

c.1912-1949

Stone rubbing

This rubbing shows the Confucius family cemetery, located approximately two kilometres north of the Temple of Confucius at Qufu. In his final years Confucius returned to his hometown, by this stage he had gained many disciples and perhaps it was also the time when he worked on his famous texts, such as the Analects which traces his life. Confucius is buried in this cemetery, along with some of his disciples and thousands of his descendants.

Harry Simon Collection, donated by the Asia Institute in 2009

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA Harry Simon, 6178 C112

Unknown Artist

Chinese

The Temple of Great Master Confucious

c.1912-1949

Stone rubbing

Shortly after his death, a temple was built to venerate Confucius at the site of his family home in Qufu. Progressively over the centuries, the Temple changed and evolved as more buildings were replaced and added. The rubbing shows how the temple complex is organised from a central axis and includes 460 rooms and nine courtyards. As the eye moves up the sheet, it encounters the largest building Dacheng Hall or the Hall of Great Perfection at the heart of the site.

Harry Simon Collection, donated by the Asia Institute in 2009

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA Harry Simon, 6178 C112M

Utagawa Hiroshige (artist)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, 1797-1858

Sanoya Kihei (Kikakudo) (publisher)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, active c.1800-1875

Rain Over Nihonbashi, c.1832-1836

from the series Famous Places in the Eastern City

Woodblock print (nishiki-e)

Hiroshige is venerated as the last great master of ukiyo-e printmaking and is the figurehead for later artists who emulated his style. Rain over Nihonbashi captures the spontaneity of everyday life, showing travellers caught in a shower crossing the Nihonbashi River. Hiroshige conveys the essence of the weather, human motion, and the beauty of the natural environment despite the rigid limitations of the woodcutting process. In the background, the famous landmarks Mt Fuji and Edo castle offer further attractions for the viewer.

University of Melbourne Art Collection

0000.0828

Utagawa Hiroshige II (artist)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, 1829-1869

Sagamiya Tôkichi (Ai-To) (publisher)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, active c.1855-1866

Mount Atago, 1861-1862

from the series Thirty-six views of the Eastern Capital

Woodblock print (nishiki-e)

Born Suzuki Chinpei and changing his name to Shigenobu during his apprenticeship, the artist we know as Hiroshige II inherited his teacher and adopted father’s name following the latter’s death in 1858. In his woodcuts, Hiroshige II reflected the compositional elements of his teacher, such as unusual viewpoints, as in this image, in which we survey the scene as if from a rooftop. The inclusion of kites and lanterns in this print suggests a festival, perhaps celebrating the New Year.

Gift of Dr J. Orde Poynton, 1959

Print Collection, Archives and Special Collections

1959.6070

Utagawa Yoshitora (artist)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, active c.1836-1887

Daikokuya Kinnosuke (Kinjirô) (publisher)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, active c.1863-1875

Famous Places on the Tokaido Road, c.1864

Woodblock print (nishiki-e)

These two woodcuts are part of a dodecaptych, or a print made up of twelve individual sheets, which together show sights along the road between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. These prints follow the work of another artist of the Utagawa school, Hiroshige, who made a series of 53 prints of the Tokaido Road after his 1832 journey. These coastal scenes were instantly popular and created a new genre of landscape and travel art; many artists produced pictures from the Tokaido road which could be purchased by travellers and admirers eager for a record of these scenes.

Gift of Lesley Kehoe and Kaneko Noriaki, 2021

Print Collection, Archives and Special Collections

2021.0010.001; 2021.0010.002

Xu Jiyu

Shanxi, China, 1795-1873

A Short Account of the Maritime Circuit, 1866

Woodblock imprint

China: printed with the blocks collected by the Minstry of Foreign Affairs of the Qing Dynasty, originally written in 1848; revised in 1866

Jiyu Xu was part of the Westernisation movement arising in China after the First Opium War in 1848. He was a ranking government official and geographer during the late Qing dynasty, dropping in and out of power in the period between 1850-1869 as the political landscape changed. Convinced China needed to learn from the West in order to consolidate its place in world affairs, in A Short Account of the Maritime Circuit, Xu gathered information garnered from Westerners while living in port towns in Fujian Provence. The book systematically describes world geography and includes many maps. Despite his intention to strengthen China’s political fortunes through his writing, Xu’s works found more influence overseas, particularly in Japan, than they did at home.

Rare Books Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/BX f 912 XU

Unknown artist

Chinese

The complete map of the capital of Canton, c.1870

Canton (now Guangzhou) was one of the first Chinese port cities opened to foreign merchants; from the eighteenth century onwards, Cantonese artisans produced folding fans for export to Europe as ‘China trade’ items. These embellished fans, usually made of scented wood or ivory, and decorated with landscapes or flowers, were especially popular among the European upper classes. The lacquered bamboo used in this fan, however, would have required significantly less complicated manufacturing and cheaper materials to produce, indicating that it was probably intended for sale to a less affluent market. However, unlike other known extant fan maps from the era, which often show coloured charts of Imperial China, this monochrome map is unusual in that it depicts the inner city of Canton.

Purchased through the Garlick Memorial Trust, 2022

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

NK4870 COMP 1870 CHI

Wei Shou

Hebei, China, 506-572

Book of Wei, 1956

Photoprint

Taipei: Twenty-five Dynastic Histories Compilation House

One of the twenty-five officially sanctioned Chinese dynastic histories, the Book of Wei is the first extant history dedicated to nomadic minorities. It retains historical materials from the fourth to the sixth centuries relating to Northern Wei, a regime originating in Xianbei, a nomadic state located in modern-day Mongolia. Reflecting the growing popularisation of Buddhism, the Book of Wei also included the Treatise on Buddhism and Daoism. This 1956 edition was produced as a seventieth birthday gift to Chiang Kai-shek, then President of the Republic of China.

Donated by Mr Jiang Jiadong, 1979

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 2455.25 J245 v.273

Chen Shou

Sichuan, China, 233-297

Records of the Three Kingdoms, 1670

Woodblock imprint

Kyoto: Fushimiya Uemura Tōemon: Akitaya Yamamoto Heizaemon

Edo Japan (1603-1867) saw the publishing industry flourish, and with it an increase in literacy among the general population. The ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, encouraged cultural activities and education. He employed Hayashi Razan (1583-1657), a Japanese Neo-Confucian philosopher, as his adviser, whose goal was to popularise Chinese classics among the general populace. To accomplish this, books were initially imported from China, but this made them prohibitively expensive. It was therefore decided to reprint Chinese classics in Japan in order to maintain low costs. Among the Chinese books reprinted during this period, the official dynastic history Records of the Three Kingdoms, and the later Romance of the Three Kingdoms–a novel adapted from the history–enjoyed enduring popularity and impact in Japan.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 2560 C774a

Hakura Katei (engraver)

Kyoto, Japan, 1779-1887

Katei's Seal Album–Album of Japanese Artists’ Seals, c.1800-1899

Inked stamps

Japan: unknown publisher

A small book of Japanese artists’ seals by Meiji-period artist and engraver Hakura Katei. Katei learned calligraphy during his childhood, and after a brief period working as a government official, travelled to Edo to study various artistic techniques. For a time earned a living by specializing in the creation of In, the carved tops of seals, and his work became prized by the Imperial Prince Kuninomiya Asahiko.

The use of printed ink seals as a means of affixing a signature arose first in China (as opposed to wax seals, which were used in Europe), but the practice quickly spread across East and South-east Asia. In Japan, seals were originally used only by the emperor and his closest officials from 57 CE; by 750, they had entered common usage among nobles, government employees and businesses.

Rare Books Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/ARTBOOK 702.81 JAPA

Li Jie

Henan, China, 1035-1110

State Building Standards, 1925

Woodblock imprint

Wujin: Chuanjing Publishing House

State Building Standards was written by the assistant director of the office of public works and construction, Li Jie, who worked in the Imperial court of the Northern Song dynasty for thirteen years. His reference work on architecture, including standards, information and diagrams on how to build structures, the materials needed, and how many people it would take to construct them was influential at the time: the Song dynasty was not only a period of artistic growth, it also saw the rise of the civil service, and allowed anyone with talent to participate in the civil service exams. Li’s book, originally written in 1103, was re-discovered by academic Zhu Qiqian in 1919 and is one of the earliest and most complete texts from the time.

Donated by the Friends of the Baillieu Library

Rare Books Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/RB 37B/2 37B/9

Hu Zhengyan (compiler)

Anhui, China, 1580-1671

The Ten Bamboo Studio Album of Letter Paper, 1983

Woodblock imprint

Kowloon, Hong Kong: China Academic Information Society

Zhengyan established the Ten Bamboo Studio in the first quarter of the 1600s, employing his brothers, sons, and other artisans to publish mainly academic texts. Zhengyan was also a printmaker, calligrapher, seal carver and artist, known for his innovative multi-colour printing techniques. His most famous work is this four-volume manual, which anthologises over three hundred prints by around thirty different artists, himself included, it depicts landscapes, animals, plants and figures. It was reprinted often during subsequent centuries. A proponent of the Ming dynasty, Zhengyan largely withdrew from public life after the fall of the Ming and rise of the Qing dynasty in the 1640s.

Rare Books Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/BX f 761.20951 HU

Kitao Masayoshi (Kuwagata Keisai) (artist)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, 1764-1824

Kobayashi Mohē(engraver)

Japan, active c.1785

Guide to Fifty Famous Edo sites, 1785

Woodblock print

Meisho zue–illustrations of famous places–emerged in seventeenth century Japan as a response to the relaxation of restrictions on travel. Unlike travel prints and guidebooks, which displayed scenes of individual sites or portraits of people encountered along the way, meisho zue took a holistic approach, depicting panoramic landscapes occupied by scenes of human activity. This enabled audiences to gain both knowledge of the topography of a site and to understand daily life in its geographic context. Masayoshi, a representative artist of this new genre, sketched the townscape of Edo (now Tokyo) with fifty colour illustrations in this magnificent scroll, conveying the prosperity of the city and the enjoyable lifestyle of its citizens.

Purchased through the Garlick Memorial Trust, 2022

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (artist)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, 1839-1892

Sasaki Toyokichi (publisher)

Tokyo (Edo), Japan, active c.1855-1898

Tametomo's Ferocity Drives Away the Smallpox Demons, 1890

from the series Thirty-six Ghosts and Strange Apparitions

Woodblock print

The samurai Minamoto no Tametomo is reputed to have had both a savage character and almost supernatural powers: his left arm, for example, was longer than his right, making him a mighty archer. Following his involvement in the Hōgen rebellion (1156), he was exiled to Okinawa. When smallpox, perceived as a predominantly Western virus, threatened the island, Tametomo’s reputation and fierce stance was supposed to have scared away the away the demons of disease.

Purchased through the Library Endowment Trust, 2022

Print Collection, Archives and Special Collections

2022.0009

Fang Guancheng (compiler)

Anhui, China, 1698-1768

The Imperially Inscribed Illustrations of Cotton, c.1770-1795

Stone rubbing

These stone rubbings, presented in unusual concertina format, display illustrations with corresponding descriptions about the production of cotton in China. Fang Guancheng, the governor-general of the Zhili metropolitan region, made the images and some of the text, but further poetic additions were contributed by Emperor Qianlong. Each intricately carved image and accompanying words conveys an idealised depiction of pastoral life, focusing on each step in the cotton-making process from sowing seeds to dyeing the finished textile.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA gf 8136 Y264

Lan Pu

Jiangxi, China, d.1796

The Potteries of China, 1891

Woodblock imprint

China: unknown publisher

Known as the country’s ‘Porcelain Capital’, Jingdezhen had a long-held reputation for producing the finest porcelain in imperial China. This book was compiled by Lan Pu, a local scholar. It records the history of the city, information about the porcelain manufacturing process (including the purchase of the ingredients and the sale of the final products), as well as an introduction to renowned kilns elsewhere throughout Chinese history.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 8560 L432

Song Ci

Chinese 1186-1249

The Commentary on Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified, 1872

Woodblock color printing

This is the first ever systematically written book of forensic science in the world. It was compiled from evidence based on many historical cases, as well as the personal experiences of the author, who served as provincial judicial commissioner in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Hunan, in charge of penal and prison affairs. The earliest extant print edition is from the Yuan Dynasty. This Qing Dynasty edition was supplemented and annotated by contemporary officials like Ruan Qixin and Wang Youhuai, whose judicial experiences were also incorporated into the edition.

Purchased through the Garlick Memorial Trust, 2022

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA  RA1063.4 WANG 1872

Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng (pseudonymous author)

China, active c.1596-1610

Zhang Zhupo (commentator)

Jiangsu, China, 1670-1698

The Plum in the Golden Vase, 1695

Woodblock imprint

China: Hall of the Crane Chirping in the Marsh

Described as “the most marvellous book” by the famous Qing book commentator Zhang Zhupo, The Plum in the Golden Vase was one of the most controversial novels in imperial China. It was revolutionary in its use of everyday language, its structure and content. It was circulated as a partial manuscript as early as 1596, and amazed contemporary literati, who competed to read the new chapters. However, its authorship is still a mystery, probably due to its explicit and excessive sexual content, still shocking despite an easing of social norms and Confucian ideology during the late Ming dynasty.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 5758 T814

Wang Shizhen (author)

Shandong, China, 1634-1711

Jing Rong (annotator)

China, active c.1710-1734

Annotations to Selected Works of Yuyang Shanren, 1712

Woodblock imprint

China: Flying Phoenix Hall

One of the most well-known poets during the early Qing dynasty, Wang Shizhen’s fame was established during the Kangxi era (1654-1722), when the ‘extensive learning and great literary talent’ exam was held in Beijing, around 1678. His poems were renowned for their graceful and restrained aesthetics. Nevertheless, this beautifully printed anthology, a selection of Wang’s best poem and prose works, suffered from censorship as it was prefaced by poet and politician Qian Qianyi (1582-1664), whose works was banned by the government.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA f 5461 C890

Han Yu, et al.

Henan, China, 768-824

Commentaries on Works of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties, 1835

Woodblock imprint

Unknown publisher

Works of the Eight Prose Masters was the anthology complied by Mao Kun (1512-1601). After their lifetimes, the works of these masters were recognized as representing one of the highest achievements of Chinese prose writing and deemed as essential readings for young scholars who dreamt of passing the imperial exams. Mao compiled the anthology in response to a competing contemporary advocacy that scholars should learn prose composition from pre-Qin period authors. Due to its widespread popularity, the anthology was re-printed and commented on many times after its compilation.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 5237.4 P560

Zhou Bangyan

Zhejiang, China, 1056-1121

Slivers of Jade, n.d.

Woodblock imprint

Printed with blocks collected by Jiaye Hall

Slivers of Jade is an anthology of lyrics–a poetic format which flourished during the Song dynasty, and which was intended for performance by singers–by well-known literati Zhou Bangyan. Zhou’s lyrics were renowned for their careful craftsmanship, subtle nuances of feeling, and for being eminently singable. He was particularly skilled at composing his own tunes, and his competence as a musician was officially recognized through his close involvement with the Bureau of Music .

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 5599 C750

Zang Maoxun (compiler)

Zhejiang, China, 1550-1620

Selected Plays from the Yuan Dynasty, c.1927-1936

Woodblock imprint

Shanghai: Zhonghua Book Company

Imperial exams were cancelled during the Yuan dynasty, after Kublai Khan’s conquest of the Song dynasty and the institution of Mongol rule in 1271. Seeking another form of recognition, scholars instead devoted themselves to writing zaju, one of the major forms of Chinese drama. Unfortunately, no contemporary manuscripts have survived. Completed in 1615 by Zang Maoxun, a dramatist himself, Selected Plays is the most well-known anthology of Yuan drama. It contains one hundred works, which accounts for approximately two-thirds of the Yuan plays that are still extant. Rich illustrations were added to further attract increasingly literate audiences in the seventeenth century.

Harry Simon Collection, donated by the Asia Institute, 2009

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA Harry Simon 5665 T242

Tang Xianzu

Jiangxi, China, 1550-1616

The Peony Pavilion, 1914

Woodblock imprint

China: Nuanhong Studio of Liu (Shiheng)

This Ming dynasty drama was adapted from earlier sources and tells the story about the sixteen-year-old Du Liniang encountering a stranger, the scholar Liu Mengmei, in the dream she experiences during a stroll in the family garden in spring. She pines away and dies of lovesickness, but is subsequently resurrected with the help of the real Liu. Originally written for staging as Kunqu opera, one of the traditional theatre arts, its perfect integration of lyricism, musicality, choreography–as well as its resonance among young, and especially female, audiences–made it one of the most successful dramas in Chinese history.

Harry Simon Collection, donated by the Asia Institute, 2009

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA Harry Simon 5686 H310

Gao Ming

Zhejiang, China, c.1305-1371

Illustrated Tale of the Pipa, 1735

Woodblock imprint

China: unknown publisher

Adapted from historical stories and earlier works, this Yuan dynasty drama was highly praised by Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhuang, as it encouraged fidelity and filial piety. It tells the story of heroine Zhao Wuliang, who cared for her in-laws when her husband, Cai Bojie, went to the capital for the imperial exam and re-married there upon graduation. After the death of the in-laws during famine, Zhao travels to the capital to reunite with her husband, making a living on her journey by playing the pipa (lute) along the way.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 5676 P110M

Wang Shifu

Beijing, China, c.1260-1336

Romance of the Western Chamber, 1720

Woodblock imprint

China: printed with blocks collected by the Mustard Seed Garden

A Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) adaptation of The Story of Yingying–a Tang dynasty tale–Romance of the Western Chamber is one of the most well-known Chinese love stories. The plot revolves around a young couple, Zhang Sheng (Scholar Zhang) and Cui Yingying, who have a love affair without parental approval, and whose activities are therefore labelled as immoral and licentious. The Tang and Yuan versions have different endings, reflecting a shift in audiences: in the Tang tale, Zhang abandons Cui, as elopement was scorned by the upper classes amongst whom the tale circulated. In the Yuan drama, the couple get married, such happy endings were much more popular among the general public, who were the primary consumers of the period.

Rare East Asian Collection, Archives and Special Collections

UniM Bail SpC/EA 5668 H100C1