This book describes more than 220 copies, nearly all of European provenance, of various astronomical publications by Ferdinand Verbiest, S.J. (1623 – 1688), either xylographical copies sent from Peking (reports, instrument drawings, eclipse maps, ephemeredes, stellar maps), or copies of Astronomia Europaea (a Bencard edition from Dillingen, 1687). This multiplies the number of known copies by ten.
The first part of this book describes the characteristics of this astronomical corpus – one of the most spectacular bibliographical testimonials of the Jesuit presence in 17 th – 18 th century China. Golvers discusses in detail the date of each separate title, and disentangles the complex mutual interrelationship between the various items of this corpus; in this way, the author exhaustively illustrates the dynamic composition process of this corpus, capped by the Dillingen edition of 1687. Moreover, by investigating handwritten dedications and owner’s marks, material indications (such as covers, title labels etc.) and external testimonials, Golvers sketches the history of the shipment of these documents to Europe, connecting them to the late 1670s, to Ph. Couplet’s European ‘tour’ (1683 – 1692) and to the presence of A. Thomas, S.J. in Peking (late 1685 – 1709). Behind all these shipments, there is a personal effort of F. Verbiest, and his own handwriting can be recognised in many pieces. After his death, also the French and German Jesuits in Peking continued this diffusion process, albeit to a lesser extent, in their relations with France, the German countries and St. Petersburg.
In the last part of this monograph several cases are discussed which illustrate how in the 17 th – 18 th centuries European scholars ‘received’ these documents, for their astronomical, sinological, historical, linguistic or purely bibliophile aspect. In this part of the inquiry, unknown aspects of the history of many early Chinese collections in Europe are discussed, especially those in Berlin, Florence, Leiden, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome, St Petersburg, Vienna, Warsaw.
Finally, the appended Census offers a detailed material description of the 220 copies located so far, with a thorough analysis of their provenance.
This research measures, for the first time, the penetration of Jesuit publications on China in contemporary Europe in quantitative and geographical-historical terms. It also traces the different motivations of these dispatches (i.e. maintaining public relations; offering an apology for the particular evangelisation methods, viz. through the application of science; requesting human resources; providing scientific material to western scholars; offering bibliophile curios in return for support). This abundantly illustrated publication (ca 60 ill.; 6 tables and 4 maps) represents not only a substantial contribution to the history of the Jesuit mission in China and the methods applied, but is also an important advancement in our knowledge of the history of western astronomy in East Asia, and of the Sino-Jesuit printed materials preserved in European collections.
The first part of this book describes the characteristics of this astronomical corpus – one of the most spectacular bibliographical testimonials of the Jesuit presence in 17 th – 18 th century China. Golvers discusses in detail the date of each separate title, and disentangles the complex mutual interrelationship between the various items of this corpus; in this way, the author exhaustively illustrates the dynamic composition process of this corpus, capped by the Dillingen edition of 1687. Moreover, by investigating handwritten dedications and owner’s marks, material indications (such as covers, title labels etc.) and external testimonials, Golvers sketches the history of the shipment of these documents to Europe, connecting them to the late 1670s, to Ph. Couplet’s European ‘tour’ (1683 – 1692) and to the presence of A. Thomas, S.J. in Peking (late 1685 – 1709). Behind all these shipments, there is a personal effort of F. Verbiest, and his own handwriting can be recognised in many pieces. After his death, also the French and German Jesuits in Peking continued this diffusion process, albeit to a lesser extent, in their relations with France, the German countries and St. Petersburg.
In the last part of this monograph several cases are discussed which illustrate how in the 17 th – 18 th centuries European scholars ‘received’ these documents, for their astronomical, sinological, historical, linguistic or purely bibliophile aspect. In this part of the inquiry, unknown aspects of the history of many early Chinese collections in Europe are discussed, especially those in Berlin, Florence, Leiden, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome, St Petersburg, Vienna, Warsaw.
Finally, the appended Census offers a detailed material description of the 220 copies located so far, with a thorough analysis of their provenance.
This research measures, for the first time, the penetration of Jesuit publications on China in contemporary Europe in quantitative and geographical-historical terms. It also traces the different motivations of these dispatches (i.e. maintaining public relations; offering an apology for the particular evangelisation methods, viz. through the application of science; requesting human resources; providing scientific material to western scholars; offering bibliophile curios in return for support). This abundantly illustrated publication (ca 60 ill.; 6 tables and 4 maps) represents not only a substantial contribution to the history of the Jesuit mission in China and the methods applied, but is also an important advancement in our knowledge of the history of western astronomy in East Asia, and of the Sino-Jesuit printed materials preserved in European collections.
