This study is named after a penname (literally means ‘Steadfast Hut’) of Professor Jao Tsung-i, Honorary Permanent Director of JAS, who is also known by the penname of Xuantang. Given that Professor Jao is revered as an erudite scholar with manifold expertise in the studies of oracle bone inscriptions, Dunhuang and ancient Chinese script as well as ancient history and art history, the books assembled in the study not only include his own works, but also cover a broad spectrum of scholarship from different disciplines, making a subtle reference to the encyclopedic knowledge of the study’s namesake. In addition, the book collection of Professor David Nivison can also be found here.
Compiled by a number of officials during the late Kangxi era of the Qing dynasty, Peiwen Yunfu is a voluminous Chinese rhyme dictionary of literary allusions and poetic dictions that serves as a reference tool for the composition of poetry. The title is named after an imperial study of Emperor Kangxi called Peiwen zhai (‘The
Literature Adorning Studio’). Taking eight years to complete, the dictionary “encompasses the past and the present and comprises all matters, no matter important or trivial. No works on phonology can surpass this.” As the lexicon was drawn from works from the pre-Qin period to the more recent Ming dynasty, the dictionary contains a total of 10,252 single-character entries, classified into 106 rhymes according to the Pingshui rhyme system once popular in the Ming Dynasty. It is still an important reference for looking up classical allusions and phrases.
The Haishan Xianguan edition of Peiwen Yunfu bequeathed by Professor David Nivison is a reprint of the original publication by the Imperial Printing House of Wuyingdian, under the patronage of Late Qing merchant Pan Shicheng. Bound into 164 volumes and stored in 24 cases, this set of thread-binding books is in pristine condition even after over one hundred and fifty years of circulation. On top of that, the volumes are in original binding and casing, making it a worthy addition to any collection.
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