Synopses & Reviews
A scholarly study of the role of the incense timekeeper in early Chinese history.
Review
"...recommended to anyone with an interest in East Asian combustion horology. It is, in fact, the only full-length monograph devoted to the subject in a Western language....The wealth of illustrations at the back of the book are particularly valuable since they include photographs of items in the author's own collection that would otherwise be inaccessible to the student of such instruments. This book will probably remain the standard reference for collectors of antiques and researchers on this subject for some time to come." China Review International
Synopsis
This book is a scholarly study of a virtually unknown aspect of the history of horology (timekeeping), compiled from Chinese and Japanese historical and literary records, some of which are translated and published here for the first time. Incense timekeepers played an important role in early Chinese social and technological history, in addition to their use for time measurement. This book will appeal not only to historians of China and Japan, but to the growing number of collectors and museum curators who are interested in incense clocks. It is illustrated with black and white half-tones and includes a catalogue of incense clocks which have appeared in sales rooms and museums.
Synopsis
A scholarly study of a previously neglected aspect of Oriental culture. Compiled from Chinese and Japanese historical records, some of which are translated and published here for the first time, this book demonstrates the important role which incense timekeepers played in early Chinese social and technological history, in addition to their use for time measurement.
Table of Contents
List of illustrations; Preface; Acknowledgements; Conventions; Part I. Time Measurement and Incense in East Asia: 1. Early East Asian time measurement; 2. Incense and the populace; 3. Incense in religious rites; 4. Incense for time measurement; Part II. The Incense Seal in China: 5. The incense seal of Avalokitésvara; 6. In Chinese Buddhist rites; 7. In Chinese civil life; 8. In Chinese social life; 9. In Chinese and foreign writings; Part III. The Incense Seal in Japan: 10. Japanese kobandokei; 11. In Japanese Buddhist rites; 12. In Japanese civil life; 13. The fire in the smoke; Appendices; Bibliography; Illustrations; Index.