A Study of Chinese Artifacts (Another Work)

Author: (Japan) Masao Aoki
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The book A Study of Chinese Name-Objects [An External Work] is part of the series "Essays on Chinese Studies in Japan." The author, Masao Aoki, is a renowned Japanese sinologist of the modern era. Some of his works on Chinese literature have had significant influence in Japan and hold a certain position in the Chinese academic community. A Study of Chinese Name-Objects [An External Work] includes two manuscripts, A Study of Chinese Name-Objects and Tastes of China, both of which have never been published in China. These two manuscripts belong to the field of folk customs and name-object studies. A Study of Chinese Name-Objects collects Masao Aoki's essays on name-objects published between 1943 and 1958, covering a wide range of topics from the names of plants and trees to the names of ceremonial items. Speaking of which, the study of name-objects has a long history in China, traceable to the etymology studies of the Han Dynasty, evolving through the nominal studies of the Ming Dynasty, and finally developing into the textual research-based name-object studies of the Qing Dynasty. However, in Japan, name-object studies had previously merely followed Chinese developments, lacking independent growth. Masao Aoki introduced modern textual research methods, which differ from the Qing Dynasty's textual research, into his name-object studies, paving the way for a new direction in the field. In the introductory "Preface to the Study of Name-Objects," he reveals the purpose and direction of Japan's name-object studies. Tastes of China, on the other hand, focuses on introducing Chinese culinary traditions. Moreover, these two manuscripts are permeated with various aspects of Chinese culture and traditions, possessing profound cultural depth.