Treasure Canons · TC8

Brush, Inkstone and Classics

Brush, inkstone, paper and ink, classics and fine editions: a thousand years of learning in objects

62treasures

10dynasties

16institutions

This canon collects treasures of reading, teaching and scholarship: the scholar's four treasures and desk objects, Song and Yuan fine editions and palace printings, primers and examination relics, and archives that kept the institutions on record. Through them learning passed from one generation to the next.

Representative treasures

62 treasures
Warring States period · Steles & RubbingsStone DrumsQin poems carved on ten great stonesPalace MuseumTE10029Late Warring States to Qin · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsShuihudi Qin Bamboo SlipsThe law books a Qin clerk took to his graveHubei Provincial MuseumTE10041Mid Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsGuodian Chu SlipsThe Laozi as it was read over two thousand years agoJingmen MuseumTE10042Ming dynasty, Jiajing reign (copied 1562-1567) · ManuscriptsYongle Encyclopedia, Jiajing Copy Volumes in the National Library of ChinaSurviving volumes of the greatest Chinese encyclopediaNational Library of ChinaTE10044Qing dynasty · ManuscriptsSiku Quanshu, Wenyuan Pavilion CopyThe imperial library of the Forbidden City's Wenyuan PavilionNational Palace MuseumTE10045Tang dynasty (868) · Rare Printed BooksDiamond Sutra of 868A Buddhist sutra printed in the year 868British LibraryTE10046Southern Song dynasty · Celadon WaresLongquan Celadon WasherLongquan celadon at its most jade-likeNational Palace MuseumTE10163Five Dynasties · Celadon WaresYaozhou Ware Makara-shaped Water PotA sea monster from Indian myth in celadonLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10170Yuan dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsZhao Mengfu, Origins of the Orchid Pavilion PrefaceZhao Mengfu traces the Orchid Pavilion lineNational Palace MuseumTE10209Tang dynasty, dated 687 · Calligraphy OriginalsSun Guoting, Treatise on CalligraphyA theory of calligraphy written in cursiveNational Palace MuseumTE10212Qing dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsQianlong Emperor, Record of the Wenyuan PavilionQianlong on the library he builtNational Palace MuseumTE10234Qing dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsKangxi Emperor, Wanshi Shibiao (Model Teacher for All Ages)Kangxi's tribute to ConfuciusNational Palace MuseumTE10249

Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings

14 treasures
Warring States period · Steles & RubbingsStone DrumsQin poems carved on ten great stonesPalace MuseumTE10029Yuan dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsZhao Mengfu, Origins of the Orchid Pavilion PrefaceZhao Mengfu traces the Orchid Pavilion lineNational Palace MuseumTE10209Tang dynasty, dated 687 · Calligraphy OriginalsSun Guoting, Treatise on CalligraphyA theory of calligraphy written in cursiveNational Palace MuseumTE10212Qing dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsQianlong Emperor, Record of the Wenyuan PavilionQianlong on the library he builtNational Palace MuseumTE10234Qing dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsKangxi Emperor, Wanshi Shibiao (Model Teacher for All Ages)Kangxi's tribute to ConfuciusNational Palace MuseumTE10249Tang dynasty · Steles & RubbingsKaicheng Stone ClassicsA library carved in stoneXi'an Beilin MuseumTE10269Southern Song dynasty · Figure PaintingEmperor Gaozong of Song, Classic of Filial Piety for Women, with Illustrations by Ma Hezhi (First Scroll)A Song court picture book of women's virtueNational Palace MuseumTE10326Late Northern Song · Figure PaintingAnonymous, Figures (Album of Paintings of Successive Dynasties)A scholar and his portrait on the screenNational Palace MuseumTE10332Ming dynasty · Figure PaintingDu Jin, Enjoying AntiquitiesA Ming gathering to admire antiquesNational Palace MuseumTE10343Early Qing dynasty, 1651 · Figure PaintingChen Hongshou, Sixteen Views of ReclusionSixteen pleasures of a recluse's lifeNational Palace MuseumTE10346Southern Tang (Five Dynasties) · Figure PaintingWang Qihan, Collating TextsA scholar at ease before a painted screenNanjing UniversityTE10350Yuan dynasty · Birds, Flowers & AnimalsWu Zhen, Album of Ink BambooTwenty-two leaves of bamboo held in the mindNational Palace MuseumTE104382 more · open Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings

Books & Documents

47 treasures
Late Warring States to Qin · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsShuihudi Qin Bamboo SlipsThe law books a Qin clerk took to his graveHubei Provincial MuseumTE10041Mid Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsGuodian Chu SlipsThe Laozi as it was read over two thousand years agoJingmen MuseumTE10042Ming dynasty, Jiajing reign (copied 1562-1567) · ManuscriptsYongle Encyclopedia, Jiajing Copy Volumes in the National Library of ChinaSurviving volumes of the greatest Chinese encyclopediaNational Library of ChinaTE10044Qing dynasty · ManuscriptsSiku Quanshu, Wenyuan Pavilion CopyThe imperial library of the Forbidden City's Wenyuan PavilionNational Palace MuseumTE10045Tang dynasty (868) · Rare Printed BooksDiamond Sutra of 868A Buddhist sutra printed in the year 868British LibraryTE10046Late Shang dynasty (reign of Wu Ding) · Oracle BonesOracle Bones from Pit YH127, YinxuA whole pit of oracle bones lifted out in one blockInstitute of History and Philology, Academia SinicaTE10510Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsShanghai Museum Warring States Chu Bamboo ManuscriptsChu books rescued from the antiques marketShanghai MuseumTE10512Wu of the Three Kingdoms · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsZoumalou Wu SlipsThree Kingdoms registers and ledgers from an old wellChangsha Bamboo and Wooden Slips MuseumTE10521Tang dynasty · ManuscriptsWu Cailuan, Tangyun Rhyme DictionaryThe book behind the legend of a scribe immortalNational Palace MuseumTE10527Southern Song, reign of Lizong (1225-1264) · ManuscriptsVeritable Records of Emperor Taizong of SongA state history copied by Song handsNational Central LibraryTE10532Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign · ManuscriptsWenjin Pavilion Copy of the Siku QuanshuAn imperial library still in its original casesNational Library of ChinaTE10535Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign · ManuscriptsWensu Pavilion Copy of the Siku QuanshuA Siku set that moved from Mukden to LanzhouGansu Provincial LibraryTE1053635 more · open Books & Documents

Implements & Instruments

3 treasures
Five Dynasties · Celadon WaresYaozhou Ware Makara-shaped Water PotA sea monster from Indian myth in celadonLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10170Ming dynasty, Wanli reign (1593-1596) · Rare Printed BooksJinling Edition of the Compendium of Materia MedicaThe first printing of China's great herbalLibrary of the China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesTE10562Yuan dynasty (1339) · Rare Printed BooksYuan Edition of the Huangdi NeijingThe oldest printed copy of the medical classicNational Library of ChinaTE10563

Types by dynasty

Where this canon's treasures fall by type and dynasty; click an ink dot to open that dynasty at that type.

Brush, Inkstone and Classics · Types by dynasty
ShangZhouQinThree KingdomsTangTen KingdomsSongYuanMingQing
Ceramics & Glass2
Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings14
Books & Documents47
Implements & Instruments3
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