Three Generations of Golden Inscriptions: A Collection (Complete Three Volumes)

Author: Luo Zhenyu (compiled)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1983-12-01
Features: Luo Zhenyu (1866–1940) was a modern Chinese epigrapher and artifact collector. His original name was Jianbai, later changed to Shuyun and Shuyan, and he was also known as Xuetaang, Zhen Song Laoren, Yongfeng Xiangren, and Qouting Laomin. Originally from Yongfeng Township, Shangyu County, Zhejiang Province (now Shangyu County, Zhejiang Province), he was born on June 28, 1866 (August 8, 1866), in Shanyang County, Jiangsu Province (now Huai'an County, Jiangsu Province) and died on May 14, 1940, in Lushun, Liaoning Province. Luo Zhenyu graduated as the seventh student of the Shangyu County School. He failed the provincial examinations in the years Wengsi (1882) and Weizi (1888) and thereafter devoted himself to scholarship. After the First Sino-Japanese War, he paid attention to new learning and co-founded the Nongnongshe and the Nongbao in Shanghai with Jiang Bofu. He also established the Dongxue She to translate and introduce agricultural works from Japan and Western countries. He was involved in founding the Wuchang Agricultural School, Jiang Compilation Bureau, and Suzhou Normal School. From 1906, he served as a consultant to the Ministry of Education and as the supervisor of the agricultural department at Peking University. After the 1911 Revolution, he identified himself as a loyalist of the Qing Dynasty and resided in Japan. In 1919, he returned to China and gradually participated in the restoration activities of the Qing court, being appointed as a in the Southern Study. After the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo, he served as the president of the supervisory bureau and the president of the Manchu-Japanese Cultural Association.
From a young age, Luo Zhenyu loved collecting inscriptions and artifacts, a passion he pursued throughout his life. Due to his extensive academic knowledge and access to abundant materials, he extensively collected newly discovered artifacts during the time when numerous ancient relics, such as oracle bones from the Yin Ruins, Dunhuang manuscripts, Western Regions bamboo slips, and Central Plains steles, were unearthed. He collected and organized these artifacts systematically, contributing valuable materials and making significant contributions to the study of modern social sciences. Three Dynasties Gold Inscriptions is the fruit of Luo Zhenyu's 40 years of collecting gold inscriptions, comprising 4,831 pieces. In the nearly half-century after its publication, it was renowned for its vast collection and exquisite printing, with no other book capable of replacing it. The book is arranged by type of artifact, with each type further organized by the number of characters. However, it lacks explanations and only has an index, which may be inconvenient for beginners. The reprinted Three Dynasties Gold Inscriptions includes Sun Zhichu's Rectification of Three Dynasties Gold Inscriptions in the postscript, which helps readers better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the book.