A reproduced rubbing of the calligraphy of the Chinese poem ‘Rhapsody on the Luo River Goddess’ (洛神賦), signed by the Qing scholar Hu Gaowang (1730?-1798) in 1766, mounted onto a hanging silk scroll. The scroll measures 35cm (w) x 91cm (h).

Inscribed ‘This is a great curiosity’ at the top of the back of the scroll. A note, containing a free translation of the poem in English, was originally rolled into the scroll but has now been separated and stored together. At the back of it is two notes stating: ‘Translated by Harry Parkes’ and ‘The original roll was taken in a Piratical Junk by H. M. S. Rattler in Namguan Harbor. May 1853.’ Both the inscription and the notes are signed ‘A. M.’.

A printed facsimile of Book Six of the Chinese classical book Book of Documents (Shujing) in the format of a scroll, with added typographical marks in red. This version of the text was originally copied and annotated by Nakahara Yasutaka in 1330, and this facsimile was published by Toyo Bunko in 1939. This scroll is number 255 of a limited edition of 300 copies, and is accompanied by a thread-bound booklet containing explanatory text of the reproduction and the book.

The cardboard case in which the scroll was originally stored contains a printed title label and is inscribed ‘No 660 Shu Ching (BK 6. Facsimile reproduction)’. This refers to number 660 in Shelly Wang’s Chinese catalogue. The case has disintegrated into two pieces.

The scroll measures 930cm (w) x 25cm (h).