Jinwen Lishuo Shuzheng

Author: Wu Qichang
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: Bronze inscriptions are the most direct, original, and authentic documentary materials for studying pre-Qin history, as well as the primary basis for appraising bronze artifacts. Determining the dating of bronze inscriptions is a crucial issue for realizing their documentary and cultural heritage value. The Gold Inscription Calendar Annotations, in eight volumes with one preliminary volume, was compiled by Wu Qichang. The book primarily draws from The Xiaotang Collection of Ancient Antiquities (compiled by Wang Chu of the Song Dynasty), The Collected Gold Inscriptions of Ancient Bronzes (compiled by Wu Shifen of the Qing Dynasty), The Kizhai Collection of Ancient Antiquities (compiled by Wu Dachen of the Qing Dynasty), The Examination of Bronze Inscriptions in the Zuiyizhai Collection (compiled by Fang Junyi of the Qing Dynasty), The Zhenzong Collection of Ancient Manuscripts (compiled by Luo Zhenyu), The Collection of Zhou Gold Inscriptions (compiled by Zou An), and The Shanzhai Collection of Auspicious Gold Inscriptions (compiled by Liu Tizhi). It also incorporates thousands of bronze inscriptions recorded from the Song Dynasty to the Republican period, limited to the Western Zhou period. By reviewing and selecting three hundred and twelve bronze inscriptions that contain calendar records or reveal dating information through personal names, place names, or historical events, the book conducts research and annotations to study the year, month, day, and lunar phases in detail and accurately. This constitutes the "Annotations" section from Volume 1 to Volume 5. Volumes 7 and 8 present the "Table of Doubtful Gold Inscription Dates," selecting two to three bronze inscriptions without dating information but with inscriptions exceeding thirty characters and beneficial to historical research. These are used to examine and infer their dates, laying the foundation for later specialized studies on the dating of gold inscriptions. The Gold Inscription Calendar Annotations was completed in the 1920s and remains highly valuable in terms of documentation and academic research to this day.