WongAvery Collection of Chinese Materials : 天元玉曆祥異賦 丁[MS]

WongAvery Collection of Chinese Materials

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Arguably singular in its subject matter, <i>Tianyuan yu li xiang yi fu</i> 天元玉曆祥異賦 [lit. 'The Tianyuan Jade Calendar in Verse Prose on the Auspicious and Unusual Signs'] is an astrological treatise, commissioned by the Chinese imperial court during the short reign of Emperor Renzong of Ming 明仁宗 (r. 1424–25). Meant to be used for the prognostication of state affairs, <i>Xiang yi fu</i> takes the form of rhymed prose, enumerating an extensive array of astronomical or meteorological phenomena coupled with their respective interpretations. Originally conceived as forbidden knowledge, this astronomical text was to be carved onto wood blocks, printed, and distributed among court officials under Emperor Renzong’s edict. In the centuries following its commission in 1425, the title would reach an even wider audience, as new versions—some with annotations, some with added illustrations—were produced and circulated in the circles of local functionaries and beyond. It was not until the reign of Qianlong Emperor 乾隆 (r. 1735–1796) of the Qing dynasty that <i>Xiang yi fu</i> became a victim of state-ordained book censorship. Despite that, many copies of <i>Xiang yi fu</i> remained to this day. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'> Of the many extant versions, Cambridge University Library houses this unique manuscript copy (FH.20.18–37), a set of ten thread-bound volumes, each replete with hand-drawn, hand-coloured illustrations. </p>