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 Hapax rated 6 weeks ago - the schøyen collection
varieties of chinese script
The Schøyen Collection comprises most types of manuscripts from the whole world spanning over 5000 years. It is the largest private manuscript collection formed in the 20th century.
ORACLE BONE: CRACKING MADE ON THE XINHAI (DAY 48); N...
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- Hapax rated 6 weeks ago
- the schøyen collection
varieties of chinese script
The Schøyen Collection comprises most types of manuscripts from the whole world spanning over 5000 years. It is the largest private manuscript collection formed in the 20th century.
ORACLE BONE: CRACKING MADE ON THE XINHAI (DAY 48); NO QUICK VICTORY ON THE YIN (DAY 51?). APPROVED. IT WILL RAIN ON JIAHAI (?)
Nearly all known Chinese oracle bones derive from Xiaotun near the ancient capital of the Late Shang Dynasty of Anyang. The oracular use of the bones involved the interpretation of pattern of cracks which appeared on the bones after subjection to heat by the application of a heated metal rod. The text records the interpretation of the oracle and the date of its production. The oracle bones are so far the first preserved evidence of Chinese script in complete meaningful sentences.
DOCUMENT ADDRESSED TO THE MONK, SRONASENA, CONCERNING A FEMALE SLAVE OF HIS SISTER, RAMASRIA FROM THE CATISA DEVI ESTATE; REQUESTING THE SLAVE, NAMED SACGIA, TO BE SENT TO WORK ON THE CATISA ESTATE, THE PAYMENT FOR HER SERVICES WILL BE A FOUR-YEAR OLD CAMEL, GIVEN BY RAMASRIA TO SRONASENA. WITNESSED AND DATED TO YEAR 2 OF KING VISMANA, BY THE SCRIBE NANDASENA, WITH THE SEALS OF THE OGU (ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER), PIDEYALYA AND THE COZBO (FUNCTIONARY), PUNASENA
The Gandhara language is a Prakrit or vernacular version of Indo-Aryan, which developed parallel to Sanskrit. It is thought to have been a very conservative language, preserving many of the features found in Vedic or Sanskrit but lost in other Prakrits. At this time it was written in Karosthi characters, an adaptation of Iranian Pehlevi script which was used throughout the Persian Empire. Karosthi is written from right to left. Buddhist merchants and missionaries spread the use of Gandhara language and Karosthi script into Central Asia and Chinese Turkestan where it was used for business, administration and religious purposes alongside Pehlevi, Bactrian, Khotanese and Chinese.
MAHAPRAJNAPARAMITA UPADESA; COMMENTARY ON THE GREATER PERFECTION OF WISDOM.
The text is attributed to the Indian philosopher Nagarjuna, translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by Kumarajiva, an Indian or Central Asian Buddhist missionary who settled in China in the 5th c. This is part of a luxury MS using gold ink on blue stained paper, also used in Europe from 4th c. to the Carolingian period, with gold script on purple or blue stained vellum, used for princely commissions.
1. REPORT OF A MONSTER SENT TO THE EMPEROR FROM E WEI, GOVERNOR OF SICHUAN PROVINCE
2. NARRATIVE BY MARTINO MARTINI CONFIRMING THE REPORT
From the report: Several soldiers, including Ding Wanghu, discovered in Guo Duoli a beast with a human body, but no head, and instead a hand growing from his neck. It has eyes on its belly and a mouth on its belly bottom. This beast came to the army camp and ate rice, but caused no harm to any people or animals. - Later the soldiers chased him to a place called La Ha Huo. There, in the valley, there were many deep caves, and the beast jumped into one of them, where the soldiers discovered hundreds of these beasts -. The Jesuit Martino Martini lived in China 1643-1661. A geographer, he prepared the first modern atlas of China.
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