Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1880-1972 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 tracing and accompanying envelope
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Repository
Archival history
It is unknown who created this tracing or drawing on tracing paper.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
in 1972 the tracing was found in an envelope addressed to the Librarian of the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society from E.J. Brill-Leiden, postmarked 10 May 1971. The envelope was pinned to a copy of 'The Currency of the Far East' by Fr. Schöth, published in 1929. This book came into the collection in March 1930. It is not known how the copy of the inscription came to be inside the book,
Content and structure area
Scope and content
A copy of the inscription from a late-19th century stone tablet in Baidicheng, an ancient fortress and temple complex on an islet in the Yangzi River near Fengjie town in Sichuan, China. The original tablet depicts a pair of phoenixes amongst peonies, overshadowed by a wutong tree, with inscription near the picture. The inscription tells how Baidicheng, literally meaning White Emperor City, was founded by the first-century general Gongsun Shu and named after the dragon-like swirls of white mist which gathered about a well there. It also recalls how Bao Chao [鮑超], retreated to Baidicheng and practised calligraphy. Bao Chao is also identified as the creator of the picture of the tablet.
The copy of the inscription is on tracing paper and is a copy of the complete inscription but none of the surrounding image.
The original envelope in which it was found has been kept with the inscription. Addressed to the Librarian of the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society it has been annotated by hand with details of the book in which the inscription was found and dating this discovery to 12 September 1972.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Please contact the archivist using the email address given here: https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID
Conditions governing reproduction
Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.
Language of material
- Chinese
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
For further information please see the article: A warrior’s phoenixes by David Leffman, published 23 December 2022, https://www.davidleffman.com/blog-1-1/a-warriors-phoenixes. Grateful thanks to David Leffman for pointing me to this article and to Sven Osterkamp who pointed me to Harvard library's entry: https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/chinese-rubbings-collection/catalog/6-W280196_URN-3:FHCL:949884 when I asked for help in identifying the inscription on social media
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Subject access points
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Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
This catalogue was created by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2024.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
For further information please see the article: A warrior’s phoenixes by David Leffman, published 23 December 2022, https://www.davidleffman.com/a-warriors-phoenixes/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2XJCrSYg3dKDmv3t8t3sLrjAnhoSIlNB6RnOngQHWOfu2LUP91Q-TO0qs_aem_ASGDW-btdGuH_BkcsgouvhUe9LYgfW0fDzQypuuzmEcht19tbgGl8LMUMqpNz_k-uwk78Q_C3dkA8pmgilEyK6nl.
Grateful thanks to David Leffman for pointing me to this article and to Sven Osterkamp who pointed me to Harvard' library: https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/chinese-rubbings-collection/catalog/6-W280196_URN-3:FHCL:949884 when asked for help in identifying the inscription on social media