Treasure Canons · TC9

Instruments of Science

Armillary spheres, water clocks, counting tools and medical instruments: science and measurement in objects

24treasures

9dynasties

18institutions

This canon gathers objects of ancient science and technology: armillary spheres for watching the sky, water clocks and sundials for keeping time, measures, counting rods and the abacus, acupuncture figures and medical tools, and survey maps. They were the instruments with which the ancients observed, calculated and tested.

Representative treasures

24 treasures
Western Han dynasty · Bronze Mirrors & LampsChangxin Palace LampA gilded Han lamp that swallows its own smokeHebei MuseumTE10012Early Western Han dynasty · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsMawangdui Silk TextsA library on silk from a Han tombHunan MuseumTE10043Warring States, Qin (344 BCE) · Weights & MeasuresShang Yang Square Sheng MeasureA measure that served two Qin reformsShanghai MuseumTE10060Early Warring States period · Musical InstrumentsBianzhong Bells of Marquis Yi of ZengA bronze orchestra from over 2,400 years agoHubei Provincial MuseumTE10062Neolithic, Jiahu (Peiligang) culture · Musical InstrumentsJiahu Bone FluteAmong the oldest playable instruments knownHenan MuseumTE10063Five Dynasties · Calligraphy OriginalsYang Ningshi, Daily Regimen of the ImmortalsA health regimen turned masterpiecePalace MuseumTE10246Southern Song dynasty · Figure PaintingLi Tang, Village Doctor (Moxibustion)A patient grimacing under the doctor's careNational Palace MuseumTE10318Qin dynasty · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsYuelu Academy Qin SlipsQin law and arithmetic bought back from Hong KongYuelu Academy, Hunan UniversityTE10516Mid Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsTsinghua Bamboo SlipsLost Warring States books brought back to lightTsinghua University Research and Conservation Center for Excavated TextsTE10518Text 8th-12th century; extant manuscripts and prints later · ManuscriptsThe Four Treatises of Tibetan MedicineThe root text of Tibetan medicineTibetan Traditional Hospital (Mentsikhang)TE10522Ming dynasty · ManuscriptsIllustrated Minerals, Insects and Plants (Ming Painted Edition)A Ming woman painter's herbalNational Central LibraryTE10560Ming 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 SciencesTE10562

Books

12 treasures
Early Western Han dynasty · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsMawangdui Silk TextsA library on silk from a Han tombHunan MuseumTE10043Qin dynasty · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsYuelu Academy Qin SlipsQin law and arithmetic bought back from Hong KongYuelu Academy, Hunan UniversityTE10516Mid Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsTsinghua Bamboo SlipsLost Warring States books brought back to lightTsinghua University Research and Conservation Center for Excavated TextsTE10518Text 8th-12th century; extant manuscripts and prints later · ManuscriptsThe Four Treatises of Tibetan MedicineThe root text of Tibetan medicineTibetan Traditional Hospital (Mentsikhang)TE10522Ming dynasty · ManuscriptsIllustrated Minerals, Insects and Plants (Ming Painted Edition)A Ming woman painter's herbalNational Central LibraryTE10560Ming 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 ChinaTE10563Western Xia · Rare Printed BooksTangut Buddhist Text "Auspicious Tantra of All-Reaching Union"The earliest known book printed in wooden movable typeNingxia Institute of Cultural Relics and ArchaeologyTE105831389, Hongwu reign of the Ming · Historical MapsGreat Ming Amalgamated MapThe world as the early Ming saw itFirst Historical Archives of ChinaTE10589Qing dynasty · Historical MapsKangxi Map of TaiwanKangxi-era Taiwan painted as a landscapeNational Taiwan MuseumTE10590Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign · Archives & DocumentsRecords of the Qing Grand Secretariat: Infiltration of Western Culture in ChinaThe calendar case and Western learning in Qing filesFirst Historical Archives of ChinaTE10599Tang dynasty · Astronomical InstrumentsDunhuang Star ChartThe whole Tang sky on paperBritish LibraryTE10673

Implements

14 treasures
Warring States, Qin (344 BCE) · Weights & MeasuresShang Yang Square Sheng MeasureA measure that served two Qin reformsShanghai MuseumTE10060Early Warring States period · Musical InstrumentsBianzhong Bells of Marquis Yi of ZengA bronze orchestra from over 2,400 years agoHubei Provincial MuseumTE10062Neolithic, Jiahu (Peiligang) culture · Musical InstrumentsJiahu Bone FluteAmong the oldest playable instruments knownHenan MuseumTE10063Text 8th-12th century; extant manuscripts and prints later · ManuscriptsThe Four Treatises of Tibetan MedicineThe root text of Tibetan medicineTibetan Traditional Hospital (Mentsikhang)TE10522Ming dynasty · ManuscriptsIllustrated Minerals, Insects and Plants (Ming Painted Edition)A Ming woman painter's herbalNational Central LibraryTE10560Ming 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 ChinaTE10563Tang dynasty · Astronomical InstrumentsDunhuang Star ChartThe whole Tang sky on paperBritish LibraryTE10673Ming dynasty, 1437 · Astronomical InstrumentsMing Abridged ArmillaA Ming copy of Guo Shoujing's armillaPurple Mountain Observatory, CASTE1067418th century · TimekeepingGilt-bronze Clock with Writing AutomatonThe clock that writes with a brushPalace MuseumTE10675Xin dynasty, 1st year of Shijianguo (AD 9) · Weights & MeasuresStandard Measure of Wang Mang, JialiangWang Mang's standard of measureNational Palace MuseumTE10676Northern Song dynasty · Astronomical InstrumentsSu Song's Water-Driven Astronomical Clock TowerThe water-driven astronomical clock tower of Su Song and others, now lostTE107392 more · open Implements

Types by dynasty

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

Instruments of Science · Types by dynasty
ZhouQinHanTangFive Dynasties and Ten KingdomsSongYuanMingQing
Metalwork1
Brushwork2
Books12
Sculpture1
Implements13
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