Studies in Manuscript Cultures

Paper has become the most common writing material worldwide in the course of a two millennia history. This study provides a magisterial synthesis of recent scholarship and original insights into the origins of papermaking and its subsequent history in imperial China, including a wide range of archaeological evidence and literary sources. The volume introduces the materials and technologies of paper production and presents the cultural history of paper in traditional China.

A comprehensive survey of literary sources on the production and use of paper is undertaken starting with the ongoing debate about the origin and genesis of paper, which was fuelled by recent archaeological discoveries of paper or proto-paper from the last two centuries BCE. In addition to its having become a popular writing material produced in many different qualities for both handwriting and printing, it also served as a material for wrapping or decorating, money and numerous uses in everyday life, such as umbrellas, windows, clothing, wallpapers, curtains and kites. Precious paper contributed to the aesthetics of calligraphy and painting, catering to the taste of the educated elite and artists.

Situating the history of genealogy in the ambit of manuscript studies, this volume explores how handwriting practices influenced the development of genealogies. It shows how lineages used handwritten documents in constructing and presenting their identity both to the outside world and to themselves. Genealogical handwriting is practiced in many manuscript cultures; this volume is the first to juxtapose studies from a wide variety of such cultures, ranging from East Asia, to West and Central Asia, to Europe. As the present contributions discuss in depth, tracing one’s lineage usually required taking note of personal histories, biographies and relationships; the chapters explore the many different reasons that compelled both individuals and institutions to do just this, and highlight the various contexts in which genealogy-writing occurred. Taking a material-oriented approach to handwriting practices in the study of genealogies can reveal the challenges implicated in producing such written artefacts, highlighting the enormous effort required in cultivating lineage-related knowledge. Seen from the view of manuscript studies, genealogies emerge as invaluable, yet also highly fragile forms of cultural capital.