A Study of Chinese Artifacts (Outer Upper Variety)

Author: (Japanese) Masakazu Aoki, translated by Fan Jianming
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Publication Date: Not available
Features: A Study of Chinese Antiquities [An Additional Work] is one of the books in the series Gems of Japanese Sinology. The author, Masakazu Aoki, is a renowned Japanese sinologist of the modern era. Some of his works on Chinese literature have had a significant impact in Japan and hold a certain position in Chinese academic circles. A Study of Chinese Antiquities [An Additional Work] includes two manuscripts, A Study of Chinese Antiquities and Tastes of the Chinese Realm, both of which have never been published in China. These two manuscripts belong to the field of folk customs and the study of antiquities. A Study of Chinese Antiquities collects Aoki’s essays and discussions on antiquities 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 antiquities 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 antiquities studies of the Qing Dynasty. However, in Japan, the study of antiquities had previously merely followed that of China, lacking independent development. Aoki introduced the methods of modern textual research, which, while also a form of textual research, differed from the Qing Dynasty’s approach, thereby opening the way to a new era of antiquities studies. In the introductory chapter Preface to the Study of Antiquities, he reveals the purpose and direction of the study of antiquities in Japan. Tastes of the Chinese Realm, on the other hand, focuses on introducing Chinese culinary culture. Moreover, these two manuscripts are permeated with various aspects of Chinese culture and traditions, possessing profound cultural depth.