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"Translations From The Chinese" by Arthur Waley Illustrated by Cyrus Le Roy Baldridge.
NOTE:   We have 75,000 books in our library, almost 10,000 different titles. Odds are we have other copies of this same title in varying conditions, some less expensive, some better condition. We might also have different editions as well (some paperback, some hardcover, oftentimes international editions). If you don’t see what you want, please contact us and ask. We’re happy to send you a summary of the differing conditions and prices we may have for the same title.
DESCRIPTION: Hardcover with surrogate/facsimile dustjacket. Publisher: Knopf (1941). Pages: 345. Size: 11¼ x 7½ x 1¾ inches; 3¼ pounds. Summary: Waley's seminal book, “Translations from the Chinese”, is one of the all-time great classics. Originally published as "One Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems”, the brilliant translations from an almost unknown literature--at the time--had such an explosive effect that they actually changed the course of English literature. Waley was perhaps the greatest genius who has ever studied both Chinese and Japanese. These ancient poems (7th to 14th century) are by the greatest Chinese poets and unlike almost all other anthologies, are translated so beautifully that the English is great poetry too. Incredibly beautiful, sensitive, full-color, full-page watercolor paintings as well as many drawings. Paper stock "patterned after old papers of the Orient". Anthology including special section of poems by Po Chu-i.
CONDITION: GOOD. Lightly read hardcover in surrogate/replacement dustjacket. Knopf (1941) 345 pages. Book appears to have been read once, albeit by someone with a fairly "light hand", as the evidence of reading wear is very slight. Full-color, full-page water color paintings and drawings by famed illustrator Cyrus Le Roy Baldridge in wonderfully pristine condition. HOWEVER there is a small bump to the top open corner of the front cover. The bump itself is pretty small, but inside the book that bump is echoed at the upper open corner of about three-quarters of the pages throughout the book...which have a small crumple/wrinkle. The book was likely either whacked pretty hard against the unyielding edge of a book shelf, or perhaps even dropped (more likely the former rather than the latter). There's no other damage to the book other than slightly bumped upper open cover corners and the wrinkle to the upper open corners of the pages within. Except for the wrinkle at the upper open corner of most pages within the book the inside of the book is otherwise almost pristine. The pages are clean, crisp, unmarked, (otherwise) unmutilated, tightly bound, and evidence only very light reading wear. I would guess that the book has been read once by someone with a relatively "light hand". From the outside of the book the full cloth (orange colored) covers evidence moderate edge and corner shelfwear. That is principally in the form of some relatively small spots where there is fraying and/or splitting of the cloth covers...(three) spots along the edges of the spine...at the front side of the spine a spot near the spine head about 1/2 an inch long, then further down about 1/4 inch long, and then at the opposite edge (the edge along the side of the back cover) one split about 1 1/2 inches long. These are all relatively small blemishes which we "healed" (to some degree) with the application of some special book glue (make the little tears more resistant to increasing in size). Then as described hereinabove there's a small bump at the top open corner of the front cover, and a tiny, tiny bump at the top open corner of the back cover. Both had really tiny (1-2mm) splits which we likewise "healed". The orange (full) cloth covers do show some small, faint stains/soiling. The vast majority of these books were published with a cardboard slip case...which generally finally deteriorated to the point they were thrown away. Once thrown away the unprotected cloth covers were of course very susceptible to soiling, staining, and edgewear. Keep in mind, though originally a slip cover protected the covers...the spine of the book would have nonetheless peeked out from that slip cover for however long it lasted from 1941 onward. So for decades the spine of the book would have been exposed to fluorescent and/or natural lighting as it sat sandwiched between other books - causing it to lighten from the burnt orange of the front and back covers several shades to more of a dingy peach. Of course none of the forgoing is even discernible unless you first remove the dustjacket. Speaking of dustjackets, over 90% of all copies of this title, 80 some years later, come with no slipcase, no dustjacket, and typically moderately soiled cloth covers. We'd never seen a copy of this book published with a dustjacket (rather than a slip case) until we somehow managed to stumble across an ex-library copy of this book with an original dustjacket...the dustjacket seemingly encased within an acetate (clear plastic) cover since 1941. The dustjacket was in almost pristine condition. So we ran the dustjacket to the printers and made full color copies on high-quality, heavy gloss paper stock. So this book now possesses a high-quality copy of that original dustjacket, encased in a new acetate (clear plastic) sleeve. Very handsome...and though perhaps not quite as thrilling as an original dustjacket (which we kept in file for future use), it will nonetheless protect the cloth covers from future staining/soiling, and enhances the appearance of the book. Given the relatively modest cosmetic issues detailed hereinabove (and of course the fact that the book has been read, albeit lightly) the book might lack the "sex appeal" of a "shelf trophy". Nonetheless for those not concerned with whether the book will or will not enhance their social status or intellectual reputation, it is definitely an above-average copy of this classic book, virtually unread, firmly bound, and with lots of "miles left under the hood". Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! Meticulous and accurate descriptions! Selling rare and out-of-print ancient history books on-line since 1997. We accept returns for any reason within 30 days! #355r.

PLEASE SEE DESCRIPTIONS AND IMAGES BELOW FOR DETAILED REVIEWS AND FOR PAGES OF PICTURES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.

PUBLISHER REVIEWS:
REVIEW: IN the preface to Mr. Waley's volume of translations there is a remark to the effect that no reviewer treated his book “170 Chinese Poems,” as an experiment in English unrhymed verse, though this was the aspect of it which most interested the writer. This remark is perfectly just. No one did treat Mr. Waley's earlier translations as examples of unrhymed versification. We, with our Occidental eyes, are so dazzled with the substance of Chinese poetry, as Mr. Waley has revealed it to us, the seemingly 'pellucid simplicity concealing great depths of feeling, as not to ask ourselves the question of how it is done. Mr. Waley may be excused his irritation at our blindness in this respect. For he has evolved a metre and style which show, in so far as one language can show the structure of another, exactly how the Chinese poets worked. And as the Chinese poets themselves undoubtedly set higher value on technique than on subject-matter, it is certainly necessary to analyze the technique of these translations, in order to understand one reason for the strange charm of Chinese poetry.
Chinese poetry is based on a parallelism of thought and of substance. Even in its early examples, this parallelism is crudely manifest. This parallelism runs in fact not only through Chinese poetry but Chinese philosophy and religion. It corresponds to a deep-seated instinct in the Oriental mind. We Occidentals, when we make buildings, pictures, poems, music, or philosophic systems, seek to vary; the Oriental seeks to repeat. It is as if he could not create a form, a sound, a thought, without creating also its echo. For this reason, Chinese poetry is without climax; for this reason also (much like Chinese painting) it compensates for absence of climax by sheer breadth of handling.
As Mr. Waley in the introduction to his first book of translations pointed out, this parallelism did not come to birth all at once. Indeed, the Chinese critics themselves have recognized two species of poetry—poetry written in the Old Style (Ku-shih), which lasted up to the fourth century A.D., and poetry written in the New Style (Lu-shih—or "strictly regulated"), which gradually evolved from the fourth to the eighth centuries A.D., reaching its culmination in the works of T'ang poets, who are, by common consent, the great masters of the art of Chinese Poetry. And since it is largely these T'ang poets whom Mr. Waley has chosen to translate, it is quite evident that, for the most part, his translations reproduce, so far as possible, the forms of this "new" or strictly regulated style.
REVIEW: Collection of poems by various ancient 7th to 14th century Chinese poets. Chinese poetry has a fixed number of syllables, rhyme is obligatory, and it strongly resembles traditional English verse. Some of the Chinese poets are Sung Yu, Hsi-chun, Wu-ti, Mei Sheng and Fu I, Pao Chao, Emperor Ch'ien Wen-ti, and Ts'ao Chih. Beautifully illustrated.
REVIEW: As one recent evaluation puts it, "Waley was the great transmitter of the high literary cultures of China and Japan to the English-reading general public; the ambassador from East to West in the first half of the 20th century. He was self-taught, but reached remarkable levels of fluency, even erudition, in both languages. It was a unique achievement, possible (as he himself later noted) only in that time, and unlikely to be repeated." His importance for raising awareness and scholarly attention to the English speaking world is considered immense, reaching a wider popular readership with later re-publications in classics series.
REVIEW: Arthur David Waley (born Arthur David Schloss, 19 August 1889 – 27 June 1966) was an English Orientalist and sinologist who achieved both popular and scholarly acclaim for his translations of Chinese and Japanese poetry. Among his honours were the CBE in 1952, the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1953, and he was made Companion of Honor in 1956.
Although highly learned, Waley avoided academic posts and most often wrote for a general audience. He chose not to be a specialist but to translate a wide and personal range of classical literature. Starting in the 1910s and continuing steadily almost until his death in 1966, these translations started with poetry, such as A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems (1918) and Japanese Poetry: The Uta (1919), then an equally wide range of novels, such as The Tale of Genji (1925–26), an 11th-century Japanese work, and Monkey, from 16th-century China. Waley also presented and translated Chinese philosophy, wrote biographies of literary figures, and maintained a lifelong interest in both Asian and Western painting.
A recent evaluation called Waley "the great transmitter of the high literary cultures of China and Japan to the English-reading general public; the ambassador from East to West in the first half of the 20th century," and went on to say that he was "self-taught, but reached remarkable levels of fluency, even erudition, in both languages. It was a unique achievement, possible (as he himself later noted) only in that time, and unlikely to be repeated."
REVIEW: Arthur David Waley, original name Arthur David Schloss (August 19, 1889 – June 27, 1966), was a noted English Orientalist and Sinologist, and is still considered one of the world's great Asian scholars. During the first half of the twentieth century, his translations introduced the best of Chinese and Japanese literature and poetry to English-reading audiences. His many translations include A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems (1918), Japanese Poetry: The Uta (1919), The Tale of Genji (published in six volumes from 1921-33), The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (1928), and Monkey (1942, an abridged version of Journey to the West).
Waley was self-taught in both Chinese and Japanese and achieved a remarkable degree of fluency and erudition. He never visited Asia. His translations of Chinese and Japanese literary classics into English had a profound effect on such modern poets as W.B. Yeats and Ezra Pound. His translations of the classics, the Analects of Confucius and The Way and its Power (Tao Te Ching) introduced Asian philosophical concepts to European and American thinkers. Waley’s scholarship was recognized with an Honorary Fellowship at King's College, Cambridge, 1945, and an Honorary Lectureship in Chinese Poetry at the School of Oriental Studies (London, 1948). He received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1952, the Queen's Medal for Poetry in 1953, and in 1956, the Order of the Companions of Honour. The Japanese government awarded him the Order of Merit of the Second Treasure for his services in making Japanese literature known and appreciated in the Western world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction.
The Limitations of Chinese Literature.
Technique.
The Method of Translation.
Bibliographical Notes.
Chapter One:
Battle.
The Man-Wind and the Woman-Wind.
Master Tēng-t'u.
The Orphan.
The Sick Wife.
Cock-Crow Song.
The Golden Palace.
"Old Poem".
Meeting in the Road.
Fighting South of the Castle.
The Eastern Gate.
Old and New.
South of the Great Sea.

The Other Side of the Valley.
Oaths of Friendship.
Burial Songs.
Seventeen Old Poems.
The Autumn Wind.
Li Fu-jēn.
Song of Snow-white Heads.
To his Wife.
Li Ling.
Lament of Hsi-chün.
Ch'in Chia.
Ch'in Chia's Wife's Reply.
Song.
Chapter Two:
Satire on Paying Calls in August.
On the Death of his Father.
The Campaign against Wu.
The Ruins of Lo-yang.
The Cock-fight.
A Vision.
The Curtain of the Wedding Bed.
Regret.
Taoist Song.
A Gentle Wind.
Woman.
Day Dreams.
The Scholar in the Narrow Street.
The Desecration of the Han Tombs.
Bearer's Song.
The Valley Wind.
Chapter Three:
Poems by T'ao Ch'ien.
Chapter Four:
Inviting Guests.
Climbing a Mountain.
Sailing Homeward.
Five "Tzǔ-yeh" Songs.
The Little Lady of Ch'ing-hsi.
Plucking the Rushes.
Ballad of the Western Island in the North Country.
Song.
Song of the Men of Chin-ling.
The Scholar Recruit.
The Red Hills.
Dreaming of a Dead Lady.
The Liberator.
Lo-yang.
Winter Night.
The Rejected Wife.
People hide their Love.
The Ferry.
The Waters of Lung-t'ou.
Flowers and Moonlight on the Spring River.
Tchirek Song.
Chapter Five:
Business Men.
Tell me now.
On Going to a Tavern.
Stone Fish Lake.
Civilization.
A Protest in the Sixth Year of Ch'ien Fu.
On the Birth of his Son.
The Peddler of Spells.
Boating in Autumn.
The Herd-Boy.
How I sailed on the Lake till I came to the Eastern Stream.
A Seventeenth-century Chinese Poem.
The Little Cart.

PART II
Introduction.
By Po Chü-i:
An Early Levée.
Being on Duty all night in the Palace and dreaming of the Hsien-yu Temple.
Passing T'ien-mēn Street in Ch'ang-an and seeing a distant View of Chung-nan Mountain.
The Letter.
Rejoicing at the Arrival of Ch'ēn Hsiung.
Golden Bells.
Remembering Golden Bells.
Illness.
The Dragon of the Black Pool.
The Grain-tribute.
The People of Tao-chou.
The Old Harp.
The Harper of Chao.
The Flower Market.
The Prisoner.
The Chancellor's Gravel-drive.
The Man who Dreamed of Fairies.
Magic.
The Two Red Towers.
The Charcoal-seller.
The Politician.
The Old Man with the Broken Arm.
Kept waiting in the Boat at Chiu-k'ou Ten Days by an Adverse Wind.
On Board Ship: Reading Yüan Chēn's Poems.
Arriving at Hsün-yang.
Madly Singing in the Mountains.
Releasing a migrant "Yen" (Wild Goose).
To a Portrait Painter who Desired Him to Sit.
Separation.
Having Climbed to the Topmost Peak of the Incense-Burner Mountain.
Eating Bamboo-shoots.
The Red Cockatoo.
After Lunch.
Alarm at first entering the Yang-tze Gorges.
On being removed from Hsün-yang and sent to Chung-chou.
Planting Flowers on the Eastern Embankment.
Children.
Pruning Trees.
Being visited by a Friend during Illness.
On the way to Hangchow: Anchored on the River at Night.
Stopping the Night at Jung-yang.
The Silver Spoon.
The Hat given to the Poet by Li Chien.
The Big Rug.
After getting Drunk, becoming Sober in the Night.
Realizing the Futility of Life.
Rising Late and Playing with A-ts'ui, aged Two.
On a Box containing his own Works.
On being Sixty.
Climbing the Terrace of Kuan-yin and looking at the City.
Climbing the Ling Ying Terrace and looking North.
Going to the Mountains with a little Dancing Girl, aged Fifteen.
Dreaming of Yüan Chēn.
A Dream of Mountaineering.
Ease.
On hearing someone sing a Poem by Yüan Chēn.
The Philosophers.
Taoism and Buddhism.
Last Poem.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS:
REVIEW: There are one or two questions which readers of ancient Chinese poetry, translated into another language, are bound to ask. Is it really at all like our poetry? Does it scan, does it rhyme? The answer to these questions is that (compared, for example, with Japanese poetry) Chinese traditional poetry is very similar to ours. Its lines have a fixed number of syllables and rhyme is obligatory; so that old Chinese poetry strongly resembles traditional English verse, and is not at all like the free verse of Europe and America today. A handsome reprint for American readers of the author's translations of 7th to 14th century Chinese poetry and stories, first authored in 1918-19, and here somewhat revised. As has often been pointed out these verse translations are the gold standard of the translator's art, standing quite by themselves as marvelous English in addition to validly transcribed ancient poetic forms. The centerpiece is approximately 108 poems by Po Chu-I, to whom Waley obviously had a strong affinity, but here are burial songs, oaths of friendship, and a children's song, in addition to works by other poets. 327 pages with color illustrations. With very few exceptions the poems in this book are by poets whom the Chinese themselves have always admired. Good insight into Chinese poetry.
REVIEW: Those who wish to assure themselves that they will lose nothing by ignoring Chinese literature, often ask the question: “Have the Chinese a Homer, an Aeschylus, a Shakespeare or Tolstoy?” The answer must be that China has no epic and no dramatic literature of importance. The novel exists and has merits, but never became the instrument of great writers. Her philosophic literature knows no mean between the traditionalism of Confucius and the nihilism of Chuang-tzu. In mind, as in body, the Chinese were for the most part torpid mainlanders. Their thoughts set out on no strange quests and adventures, just as their ships discovered no new continents. To most Europeans the momentary flash of Athenian questioning will seem worth more than all the centuries of Chinese assent.
Yet we must recognize that for thousands of years the Chinese maintained a level of rationality and tolerance that the West might well envy. They had no Index, no Inquisition, no Holy Wars. Superstition has indeed played its part among them; but it has never, as in Europe, been perpetually dominant. It follows from the limitations of Chinese thought that the literature of the country should excel in reflection rather than in speculation. That this is particularly true of its poetry will be gauged from the present volume. In the poems of Po Chü-i no close reasoning or philosophic subtlety will be discovered; but a power of candid reflection and self-analysis which has not been rivaled in the West.
Turning from thought to emotion, the most conspicuous feature of European poetry is its pre-occupation with love. This is apparent not only in actual “love-poems,” but in all poetry where the personality of the writer is in any way obtruded. The poet tends to exhibit himself in a romantic light; in fact, to recommend himself as a lover. The Chinese poet has a tendency different but analogous. He recommends himself not as a lover, but as a friend. He poses as a person of infinite leisure (which is what we should most like our friends to possess) and free from worldly ambitions (which constitute the greatest bars to friendship). He would have us think of him as a boon companion, a great drinker of wine, who will not disgrace a social gathering by quitting it sober.
To the European poet the relation between man and woman is a thing of supreme importance and mystery. To the Chinese, it is something commonplace, obvious—a need of the body, not a satisfaction of the emotions. These he reserves entirely for friendship. Accordingly we find that while our poets tend to lay stress on physical courage and other qualities which normal women admire, Po Chu-i is not ashamed to write such a poem as “Alarm at entering the Gorges.” Our poets imagine themselves very much as Art has portrayed them—bare-headed and wild-eyed, with shirts unbuttoned at the neck as though they feared that a seizure of emotion might at any minute suffocate them. The Chinese poet introduces himself as a timid recluse, “Reading the Book of Changes at the Northern Window,” playing chess with a Taoist priest, or practicing calligraphy with an occasional visitor. If “With a Portrait of the Author” had been the rule in the Chinese book-market, it is in such occupations as these that he would be shown; a neat and tranquil figure compared with our lurid frontispieces. The ‘macho man’ myth never took hold with the Chinese.
READER REVIEWS:
REVIEW: The most conspicuous feature of European poetry is its preoccupation with love. This is apparent not only in actual 'love-poems, ' but in all poetry where the personality of the writer is in any way obtruded. The poet tends to exhibit himself in a romantic light; in fact, to recommend himself as a lover. The Chinese poet has a tendency different but analogous. He recommends himself not as a lover, but as a friend. To the European poet the relation between man and woman is a thing of supreme importance and mystery. To the average Chinese poet it is something commonplace, obvious--a need of the body, not a satisfaction of the emotions. These he reserves entirely for friendship. I have been criticized for saying something like this; but the vast amount of Chinese poetry amply confirms my view. Our classical poets imagine themselves very much as Art has portrayed them--bare-headed, wild-eyed, with shirts unbuttoned at the neck as though they feared that a seizure of emotion might at any minute suffocate them, The Chinese poet tends to introduce himself as a timid recluse, 'Reading the Book of Changes at the Northern Window, ' playing chess with a Taoist priest, or practicing calligraphy with an occasional visitor. I do not mean to say that the gentle and reflective attitude traditional in Chinese poetry in any way gives us a key to the whole of Chinese life. Martial vigor, administrative ability, romantic love, all play their part; but in the whole bulk of classical poetry, say from the seventh to the fourteenth century, how minute a proportion for a moment touches any of these themes!
REVIEW: Having stumbled upon a well-worn copy of this book purely by chance during my initial absorption of Japanese and Chinese 19th century and earlier cultural works, I was delighted to discover this edition's (1941) presentation to be an artistically crafted bookbinding effort as well. Other reviewers have sung the praises of it's content to which I wholeheartedly agree and won't attempt to improve upon; but I would like to further promote the sheer beauty of this edition--for those with an appreciation for printing and illustration quality AND a love for classical Chinese poetry will find themselves over-the-top in this book and enjoying a rare experience.
By way of the best explanation and reason for my impression, I give you the note from the back matter as testimonial:
"This volume, illustrated and decorated by Cyrus LeRoy Baldridge, was planned by Richard Ellis and produced under his direction. It was composed in a special Monotype cutting of Frederic W. Goudy's Deepdene type made for this edition, with swash letters and revised characters designed by Mr Ellis and with the approval of Mr Goudy. The paper, patterned after old papers of the orient, was manufactured by the P.H. Glatfelter Company, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. The full-color illustrations were reproduced in Similetone by the Zeese-Wilkinson Company, Long Island City, New York. The cloth, in a natural finish, was made by Bancroft Mills, Wilmington, Delaware. The Composition, Electrotyping, Printing and Binding were by The Haddon Craftsmen, Camden, New Jersey."
This book is a feast for the eyes and fingers as well as for the heart...do not hesitate to seize a copy if an opportunity presents itself!
REVIEW: In this collection of ancient Chinese poems, mostly written by Po Chu-i (772-846 AD), the poems are from a different culture and era. But this is poetry you can understand. The writing is about love, death, friendship, corruption, power, nature, etc. Of the many choice lines and thoughts, a few provide the flavor. On the natural cycles of life and death: "Drift on the Stream of Infinite Flux, without joy, without fear: When you must go - then go, and make as little fuss as you can." Waiting for a friend to come home from a war: "Each day I go out at the City Gate with a flask of wine, lest you should come thirsty. Oh that I could shrink the surface of the World, so that suddenly I might find you standing at my side." Taking a poke at the powerful, a father hopes for a son who is ignorant and stupid so that "he will crown a tranquil life by becoming a Cabinet Minister."
There are many poems from Po Chu-i. He is a high ranking official who was exiled a couple of times. He occupied his time by commenting on his fate and on his surroundings. In the introduction to this section of the collection, Waley writes that the most striking characteristic of Po Chu-i's poetry is its "verbal simplicity, "in contrast to those who write "to display erudition" or literary "dexterity." Po Chu-i's best poems are those that, as Waley writes, "were inspired by some momentary sensation or passing event." Many of the poems intended to convey "moral instruction," however, seemed forced. It is almost like he wrote too much. In this old edition (1941), the poems are set out simply on the page, not crowded or pinched. The pages are on thick paper with many illustrations that are in themselves terrific. This is an old school book that shows the value of presentation.
REVIEW: Waley, who was one of the great Sinologists of the twentieth century, translated a wide variety of Eastern works but is perhaps best known for his translations of Chinese poetry. His “170 Chinese Poems”, a book which contains, among other riches, the marvelous poems of T'ao Ch'ien, Po Chu-I, and Wang Wei, has been reissued many times. And although we have seen other very fine translations of Chinese poetry from writers as diverse as A. C. Graham, Kenneth Rexroth, and Gary Snyder, none of them have had the impact of Waley. Chinese poetry, for many, is and always will mean Arthur Waley. His influence has been enormous.

I would attribute his success to two things. In the first place, there is the very special quality of his English, a quality impossible to describe. In the second place, Waley was a master at evoking an atmosphere, a feeling tone, that strikes one as authentically Chinese. So good was he at this that one sometimes gets the feeling, as one does when reading the poems of that other remarkable and far greater genius, the poet Emily Dickinson, a woman whose mind also had a very Chinese cast, that they must have been Chinese souls who had somehow strayed and ended up reincarnating in Western bodies.
My remark about Emily Dickinson's 'Chinese-ness' may raise some eyebrows. Perhaps it takes a certain amount of exposure to Eastern culture, particularly to Buddhist thought, to see this quality in her, but I find it everywhere. I find it, for example, in lines such as these, slightly adjusted since they should be set out as poetry : "I cross till I am weary / A Mountain - in my mind - / More Mountains - then a Sea - / More Seas - And then / A Desert find -"
REVIEW: The book I own is, I think, almost sixty years old. It is a beautiful book, neatly bound, with captivating drawings and a clean, open page design. This beauty and craftsmanship is a good reflection of the contents. "Translations from the Chinese" covers the long history of Chinese literature (mostly poetry) from 300 B.C. to 1100 A.D. The poems selected by Arthur Waley have simple charm and beauty, often about everyday occurrences. They never flinch from the difficulties of life, the sorrow or the occasional futility. (I can’t say how much this attitude is reflected in all Chinese poetry, or if this simply reflects the editor’s personal interests – or what he perceives to be the interest of the Western reader.)
Most poetry lovers are familiar with Ezra Pound’s translations (rewrites?) of Li Po, who is represented in this book. The long section featuring the poetry of Po Chu-i is particularly good. I have to admit, however, that this kind of poetry is almost diametrically opposite of what I usually read. I tend to prefer poetry filled with compelling speakers in compelling situations expressing their ideas in highly wrought, figurative poetry. This anthology represents the best (at least in one person’s opinion) poetry of more than 13 centuries. The dross, I expect, has been removed -- and quite a bit of it, I would imagine. There is a quiet, wind-creaking beauty to these poems, making them well worth reading. I recommend this to all readers.
REVIEW: Arthur Waley is the most famous Sinologist this century, the man (other than Ezra Pound) who has done most in bringing Chinese poetry to the fore of Western public. Hence, no matter what, Waley's historical importance cannot be overestimated. And he is a competent all-round translator too, as this fine anthology demonstrates, one who has an uncanny ear of transforming Chinese rhythms and rhymes into naturalized English metrics. His favorite poet Po Chu-I Waley translates very well. Here is when his obvious talent in phrasing tastefully does the poet justice. Elsewhere, even if Waley can be faulted here and there, he is still very close lexically to the original. To conclude, Waley's anthology is worth getting, especially if you enjoy his translations.
REVIEW: Kenneth Rexroth cited this book of translations in his "One Hundred Poems from the Chinese" as among a handful that are outstanding sources for those interested in Chinese poetry. I love the directness of the old Chinese poets, particularly their simplicity and accessibility -- at least as they have been translated today by people such as Rexroth. Those same qualities can be found in Waley's translations, where they have a seductively "commonplace" feel that both belies and accentuates their delicacy. What I hadn't been prepared for, however, were Waley's introductory essays which were, like the poetry he translated, direct and unpretentious and so wonderfully informative. Waley was one of the very first Westerners to undertake translations of ancient Chinese poetry, so, quite apart from the beauty of his work, he also holds an important position historically. This particular volume was first published in 1919. A very easy and sumptuous read.
REVIEW: This volume is essentially, One Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems, which has been in continuous print since 1918 (also available from Kindle), but it has a few more poems and questionable illustrations. The poems great and universal, and translated with no forced meter or rhyme! I have enjoyed reading and rereading them for many years. This is a large volume (10.7 X 7.2) printed on excellent quality heavy paper, but the slipcase usually falls apart.
REVIEW: In this book you will find ancient Chinese poems that were translated early in the 20th century. The cool thing about it is that it opens a window into the ancient Chinese way of thinking and living. There is a caption were a young boy has to take an exam for civil service, in the late 1700’s, and you realize how advanced in the social system they were at that era. WOW.
REVIEW: I am very glad to see that this volume is still in print. It was first printed in London in 1918 and has been reprinted ever since. I have a very small hardcover published in 1947 (Constable and Co.,Ltd), and a large volume (Translations from the Chinese, published by Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1941) with a slipcase and illustrations, and a few more poems. I enjoy reading and rereading the selection of poems which are so very universally human, and I am very glad that they are not translated into a twisted English for a forced rhyme!
REVIEW: Keep off your thoughts from things that are past and done; For thinking of the past wakes regret and pain. Keep off your thoughts from thinking what will happen; To think of the future fills one with dismay. Better by day to sit like a sack in your chair; Better by night to lie a stone in your bed. When food comes, then open your mouth; When sleep comes, then close your eyes.
REVIEW: Books of poetry are very personal things. I am forever amazed at poets who can create the image of an entire world with only a few words. Among other great poets, this book offered my first meeting with Po Chu-I. For more than 25 years now, he has continued to remind me of the beauty of life and this world. In my opinion, this book is priceless.
REVIEW: This book has been around a long time. It covers a high range of time and content of traditional Chinese poetry. In the original format, the calligraphy adds an extra element to the beauty of the poem. An untranslated Chinese poem is both a work of graphic art and literary art. This book cannot be that, but it has charming drawings to illustrate some of the poems, which makes it an incredible bargain – the watercolors printed on high quality paper are worth the price alone!
REVIEW: There are a few poems in Waley’s book that are quite moving and will resonate with today’s readers. A large part of the book is devoted to the works Po Chü-I and it is interesting to read his poems knowing roughly where he was in life when he wrote each one.
REVIEW: Five stars! Ancient Chinese court poetry and a few stories. Fascinating.
REVIEW: Great achievement for its time, bringing these beautiful works to the west
REVIEW: This is a fabulous translation of selections from classical Chinese literature, mostly poetry. Once a selection of the Book of the Month Club.
REVIEW: How can this book be out of print? Fabulous translations. Stunning watercolors.
REVIEW: I dream of writing so eloquently with so few words! Beautiful!

HISTORY OF CHINESE CIVILIZATION: Remains of Homo erectus, found near Beijing, have been dated back 460,000 years. Recent archaeological studies in the Yangtse River area have provided evidence of ancient cultures (and rice cultivation) flourishing more than 11,500 years ago, contrary to the conventional belief that the Yellow River area was the cradle of the Chinese civilization. The Neolithic period flourished with a multiplicity of cultures in different regions dating back to around 5000 B.C. There is strong evidence of two so-called pottery cultures, the Yang-shao culture (3950-1700 B.C.) and the Lung-shan culture (2000-1850 B.C).
Written records go back more than 3,500 years, and the written history is (as is the case with Ancient Egypt) divided into dynasties, families of kings or emperors. The voluminous records kept by the ancient Chinese provide us with knowledge into their strong sense of their real and mythological origins – as well as of their neighbors. By about 2500 B.C. the Chinese knew how to cultivate and weave silk and were trading the luxurious fabric with other nations by about 1000 B.C. The production and value of silk tell much about the advanced state of early Chinese civilization. Cultivation of silkworms required mulberry tree orchards, temperature controls and periodic feedings around the clock. More than 2,000 silkworms were required to produce one pound of silk. The Chinese also mastered spinning, dyeing and weaving silk threads into fabric.
Bodies were buried with food containers and other possessions, presumably to assist the smooth passage of the dead to the next world. The relative success of ancient China can be attributed to the superiority of their ideographic written language, their technology, and their political institutions; the refinement of their artistic and intellectual creativity; and the sheer weight of their numbers. A recurrent historical theme has been the unceasing struggle of the sedentary Chinese against the threats posed by non-Chinese peoples on the margins of their territory in the north, northeast, and northwest.
China saw itself surrounded on all sides by so-called barbarian peoples whose cultures were demonstrably inferior by Chinese standards. This China-centered ("sinocentric") view of the world was still undisturbed in the nineteenth century, at the time of the first serious confrontation with the West. Of course the ancient Chinese showed a remarkable ability to absorb the people of surrounding areas into their own civilization. The process of assimilation continued over the centuries through conquest and colonization until what is now known as China Proper was brought under unified rule.
XIA DYNASTY HISTORY: The Xia (Hsia) Dynasty was the first recorded dynasty, and is dated roughly from 2200 B.C. to 1700 B.C. Until scientific excavations were made at early bronze-age sites at Anyang in Henan Province, in 1928, it was difficult to separate myth from reality in regard to the Xia. In fact conventional wisdom at the time held that the Xia Dynasty was imaginary. But since then, and especially in the 1960s and 1970s, archaeologists have uncovered urban sites, bronze implements, and tombs that point to the existence of Xia civilization in the same locations cited in ancient Chinese historical texts. The Xia period marked an evolutionary stage between the late neolithic cultures and the typical Chinese urban civilization of the Shang dynasty. The rulers of the period held power for five centuries before (reportedly) becoming corrupt, and subsequently overthrown by the Shang Dynasty.
SHANG DYNASTY HISTORY: Thousands of archaeological finds in the Yellow River Valley provide evidence about the Shang (Yin) dynasty (1700-1027 B.C.). Founded by the rebel leader who overthrew the last Xia emperor, the civilization was based on agriculture, hunting and animal husbandry. Millet, wheat, barley, and, possibly, some rice were grown. Silkworms were cultivated, and pigs, dogs, sheep, and oxen were raised. Two significant developments during the Shang Dynasty were the development of a writing system, as revealed in archaic Chinese inscriptions found on tortoise shells and flat cattle bones (oracle bones), and the use of bronze metallurgy.
The written language developed contained over 2,000 written characters, many of which remain in use today. The bronze castings, often ceremonial vessels, were amongst the best in the world. Bronze weapons and other tools found indicate a high level of metallurgy and craftsmanship. A line of hereditary Shang emperors ruled over much of northern China, and engaged neighboring settlements and nomadic steppes herdsmen in frequent warfare. The principal cities were centers of glittering court life, punctuated with rituals to honor both the spirits as well as the sacred ancestors. The Shang rulers who were also the “high priest” of the prevalent form of ancestor worship, were buried with many valuables as well as domestic articles, presumably for use in the afterlife. Hundreds of commoners (perhaps slaves) were buried alive with the royal corpse.
ZHOU (CHOU) DYNASTY & WARRING STATES PERIOD HISTORY: Sharing the language and culture of the Shang, the Zhou (Chou) Dynasty through conquest and colonization gradually enveloped much of North China. The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other, from 1027 to 221 B.C. The early decentralization of the Zhou Dynasty has oftentimes been compared to Europe’s medieval feudal system. However social organization in the Zhou Dunasty was more predicated upon family and tribal ties than feudal legal bonds. Philosophers of the period enunciated the doctrine of the "mandate of heaven", the notion that the ruler (the "son of heaven") governed by divine right. In reality the emperor shared power with the local lords.
At times the local lords were oftentimes more powerful than the emperor. In the later dynasty, large scale conflicts oftentimes erupted between rival local lords (eventually culminating in the “Warring States” period). The late Zhou Dynasty’s potpourri of city-states became progressively centralized, characterized by greater central control over local governments and systematic agricultural taxation. The iron-tipped, ox-drawn plow, together with improved irrigation techniques, brought higher agricultural yields, which, in turn, supported a steady rise in population. The growth in population was accompanied by the production of much new wealth, and a new class of merchants and traders arose.
However in 771 B.C. the Zhou court was sacked, and its king was killed by invading barbarians who were allied with rebel lords. The Zhou retreated eastward relocating their capital city. Today historians divide the Zhou Dynasty into the Western Zhou (1027-771 B.C.) and Eastern Zhou (770-221 B.C.). The west was abandoned, and the power of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty gradually diminished. The Eastern Dynasty itself is further divided by historians into two periods reflecting the accelerating fragmentation and disintegration of China. The first from 770 to 476 B.C. is called the Spring and Autumn Period. The second is known as the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), as China completely dissolved.
Though marked by disunity and civil strife, these two periods marked an era of cultural advancements known today as the "golden age" of China. Commerce was stimulated by the introduction of coinage. The use of iron not only revolutionized the production of weaponry but also the manufacture of farm implements. An atmosphere of reform was the result of the competition between rival warlords to build strong and loyal armies, requiring increased economic production and a strong tax base. This created a demand for ever-increasing numbers of skilled, literate officials and teachers (a “civil service”), recruited on merit.
Public works such as flood control, irrigation projects, and canal digging were executed on a grand scale. Enormous walls were built around cities and along the broad stretches of the northern frontier. Many of the era’s intellectuals were employed as advisers by China’s rulers on the methods of government, war, and diplomacy. So many different philosophies developed during these two periods that the era is often referred to as “The Hundred Schools of Thought”. The period produced many of the great classical writings on which Chinese practices were to be based for the next two and one-half millennia, including those of Confucius (551-479 B.C.).
HAN/QIN DYNASTY HISTORY: The History of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) actually begins in 221 B.C. when the western frontier state of Qin (Ch’in), the most aggressive of the Warring States, subjugated the last of its rival states, bringing the era of the Warring States to an end. For the first time most of what eventually came to be “China” was unified. The new Qin (Chin) King proclaimed himself a deity, and ruthlessly imposed a centralized nonhereditary bureaucratic system throughout the empire, establishing standardized legal codes, bureaucratic procedures, written language, and coinage. In an effort to even standardize thought and scholarship many dissenting Confucian scholars were banished or executed; their books confiscated and burned. To fend off barbarian intrusion, the fortification walls built by the various warring states were connected to make a 5,000-kilometer-long great wall. When the powerful emperor of Ch’in died, he was entombed in a massive burial mound. Recently excavated the royal grave revealed an army of more than 6,000 terra-cotta human figures and horses intended to protect the emperor's final resting place.
In ancient China his death was followed by a short civil war and the emergence of the Han Dynasty. The new empire retained much of the Qin administrative structure but retreated from the harsh and centralized rule by establishing vassal principalities in many areas. Confucian ideals of government were reinstated, and once again Confucian scholars gained prominent status as the core of the civil service. Intellectual, literary, and artistic endeavors revived and flourished. Technological advances included the invention of paper and porcelain. The Han Empire expanded westward, making possible relatively secure caravan traffic across Central Asia to Antioch, Baghdad, and Alexandria. Often called the “silk route”, it enabled the export of Chinese silk to the Roman Empire. The Earlier Han reached the zenith of its power under Emperor Wu Ti, who reigned from 140 to 87 BC. Almost all of what today constitutes China was under imperial rule.
HISTORY OF SIX DYNASTIES (A.D. 220-589): The period between the collapse of the Han Dynasty in 220 A.D. and the rise of the Sui and Tang Dynasties (starting in 589 A.D.) was characterized by the fragmentation of China and a prolonged power struggle. Together with the period of the Western and Eastern Jin Dynasties, the “Three Kingdoms” together with “Southern” and the “Northern” Dynasties cover a period of three and one-half centuries of chaotic conditions. In spite of the political and social confusion of the period, major changes occurred in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Daoism, which had played a previously minor role in religious thought, was revitalized, and Buddhism reached the Chinese court from India and Tibet. The Buddhist notion of Bodhisattvas - compassionate beings who have delayed their own enlightenment in order to guide others along the right path - was integrated into existing beliefs, along with ideas of Buddhist heavens and symbols of worship. The quest for eternity gained great favor and people sought methods such as drinking mercury and other potions devised by alchemists to prolong their lives.
HISTORY OF THREE KINGDOMS (A.D. 304-589)/SUI DYNASTY (581-618 A.D.)/TANG DYNASTY (A.D. 618-907): The collapse of the Han dynasty was followed by nearly four centuries (220-589 A.D.) of relative anarchy. Petty kingdoms waged incessant warfare against one another. Unity was restored briefly in the early years of the Jin Dynasty (A.D. 265-420), but by 317 A.D. China was again disintegrating into a succession of petty dynasties that was to last from 304 to 589 A.D. China was reunified in A.D. 589 by a military leader from Northwest China who founded the short-lived Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.). The tyrannical Sui Dynasty met an early demise due to the government's imposition of crushing taxes, compulsory labor, and ruthless attempts to homogenize the various sub-cultures. Though monumental engineering feats such as the completion of the Grand Canal and the reconstruction of the Great Wall were accomplished, it was at an enormous price. There were noteworthy technological advances including the invention of gunpowder (for use in fireworks) and the wheelbarrow, as well as significant advances in medicine, astronomy, and cartography. However weakened by costly and disastrous military campaigns against Korea and faced with a disaffected population, the dynasty disintegrated through a combination of popular revolts, disloyalty, and a coup which culminated in the assassination of the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty.
One of the coup leaders installed his father as emperor, thus founding the T'ang Dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.), and eventually succeeded his father to the throne. The Tang dynasty is regarded by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization. During the Tang dynasty China became an expansive, cosmopolitan empire. The capital city became the world's largest city, a center of culture and religious toleration, and attracted traders and immigrants from all over the world, enriching Chinese art and culture with their foreign influences. Stimulated by contact with India and the Middle East, the empire saw a flowering of creativity in many fields. Originating in India around the time of Confucius, Buddhism flourished during the Tang period, becoming a distinct variation and a permanent part of Chinese traditional culture. The system of civil service examinations for recruitment of the bureaucracy, designed to draw the best talents into government, was so well refined that it survived into the 20th century. The civil service which developed created a large class of literate Confucian scholar-officials who often functioned as intermediaries between the grass-roots level and the government.
Branches of both the imperial and local governments were restructured and enhanced to provide a centralized administration, and an elaborate code of administrative and penal law was enacted. The military exploits of the earliest rules created a Tang Empire even larger than that of the Han. Block printing was invented, making the written word available to vastly greater audiences and the Tang period became a golden age of literature and art. Handicraft guilds, the use of paper money, and commercial centralization all started during the late Tang Dynasty. However by the middle of the eighth century A.D., Tang power was ebbing. A unified military had dissolved into a series of petty military chiefdoms who regularly withheld taxes and support from a crumbling central government. Domestic economic instability and military defeat by Arabs in Central Asia marked the beginning of five centuries of steady decline. Misrule, court intrigues, economic mismanagement, and popular rebellions weakened the empire, making it possible for northern invaders to shatter the unity of the dynasty in 907 A.D. The next half-century saw the fragmentation of China into five northern dynasties and ten southern kingdoms.
HISTORY OF THE SONG DYNASTY (960-1279 A.D.)/LIAO DYNASTY (A.D. 907-1125): The collapse of the Tang Dynasty in 907 A.D. formed the backdrop for the rise the Sung and Liao Dynasties. During the fifty years following the collapse China fragmented into ten different kingdoms, constantly in conflict with one another, and a rapid succession of five dynasties formed and then collapsed. The Five Dynasties period ended in 960 A.D. when a military leader seized the throne and proclaimed the establishment of the Sung (Song) Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) and reunified most of China. However the Mongols who were responsible for the demise of the preceding Tang Dynasty formed their own kingdom in North China known as the Liao Dynasty (907-1125 A.D.). For the only time in China, the contemporaneous monarchs of both the Liao and Song Dynasties recognized one another as possessing “the mandate of heaven” to rule China as the “son of heaven” – a situation similar to that of Ancient Egypt whereby one Dynasty ruled Upper Egypt, the other Lower Egypt, both Pharaohs recognizing one another’s divine right to rule.
Notwithstanding the shorter-lived Northern Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty proved to be the longer lived, and controlled most of China. The founders of the Song Dynasty built an effective centralized bureaucracy staffed with civilian scholar-officials. Notable for the development of cities not only as administrative entities, but also as centers of trade, industry, and maritime commerce, the Sung Dynasty gave rise to a new group of wealthy commoners, the mercantile class. Printing and education spread, private trade grew, and a market economy began to link the coastal provinces and the interior. Landholding and government employment were no longer the only means of gaining wealth and prestige. Unfortunately fearing a repeat of the anarchy created in the Tang Dynasty by petty military rulers in the frontier areas, the Sung Monarchs severely limited the power and authority of provincial military commanders. They were subordinate to centrally appointed civilian officials who had replaced the regional military governors of the Tang. Though this gave greater power and control to the emperor and his palace bureaucracy, it also led a chronic problem with military weakness. Weakness which proved to be fatal to the Sung Dynasty as they confronted the Mongols under the leadership of Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan.
HISTORY OF THE YUAN DYNASTY: The history of the Yuan Dynasty (1275-1368 A.D.) is of Mongol rule – the first alien dynasty to rule China. By the mid-thirteenth century the Mongols under Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, had conquered North China, Korea, the Muslim kingdoms of Central Asia - even twice penetrating Europe. With the resources of a vast empire, Kublai Khan turned his ambition against the Southern Sung Dynasty, which subsequently collapsed in 1279 A.D. Under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the Central Asian trade routes were entirely under Mongol control and more secure than ever before. Commercially oriented infrastructure improvements encouraged overland as well as maritime commerce.
Reciprocal trade between West and East increased correspondingly, and the increased contact with Western Asia and Europe brought about an enhanced degree of cultural exchange. The cultural diversity resulted in the development of drama, written novels, and increased use of the written language. Western musical instruments were introduced enriching performing arts. Advances were realized in the fields of travel literature, cartography and geography, and scientific education. Certain key Chinese innovations, such as printing techniques, porcelain production, playing cards, and medical literature, were introduced in Europe, while the production of thin glass and cloisonne became popular in China.
The first records of travel to China by Westerners date from this time, the most famous of course by Venetian Marco Polo. The Mongols undertook extensive public works. Roads, communications, and water distribution were reorganized and improved. Granaries were ordered built throughout the empire against the possibility of famines. As the terminus of a completely renovated Grand Canal, Beijing was rebuilt with new palace grounds that included artificial lakes, hills and mountains, and parks.
Nonetheless discontent grew within China as Confucian officials and scholars resented Mongol restrictions against Chinese holding important offices. Inflation and oppressive taxes alienated Chinese peasants. During the 1330’s and 1340’s crop failures, famine, and the repeated flooding of several major rivers in North China led to uprisings in almost every province, and several major rebel leaders emerged. Aided by rivalry amongst competing Mongol heirs to the thrown, in the 1360s a former Buddhist monk turned rebel army leader was successful in extending his power throughout the Yangtze Valley and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.
HISTORY OF THE MING DYNASTY: The Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) was founded when a Han Chinese peasant and former Buddhist monk turned rebel army leader and overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. In two purges approximately 10,000 scholars, administrators, and bureaucrats and their families were put to death in an attempt to stabilize the political situation and extinguish the Mongol influence – any possible dissent was exterminated. Imperial power was reasserted throughout China and East Asia, and the former Mongol civil government was reestablished Chinese. Literature was patronized, schools were founded, and the administration of justice was reformed. The Great Wall was extended and the Grand Canal improved. The empire was divided into 15 provinces, most of which still bear their original names. With its first (Southern) capital at Nanjing, and a subsequent (Northern) capital at Beijing, the Ming reached the zenith of power during the first quarter of the fifteenth century. The Ming had inherited the world’s most powerful maritime force, and China was at the time the world leader in science and technology.
However in an attempt to extinguish the memory of Mongol rule, the Ming rejected all foreign influences. Given the stability of the period, it was not difficult to promote a belief that the Chinese had achieved the most satisfactory civilization on earth and that nothing foreign was needed or welcome. For the population of 100 million, there were no disruptions and prolonged stability of the economy, arts, society, and politics. Finding the concept of expansion and commercial ventures alien to Chinese ideas of government, Conservative Confucian bureaucrats and administrators pressed for a revival of a strict agrarian society. The Chinese emperor forbade overseas travels and stopped all building and repair of oceangoing junks. Disobedient merchants and sailors were killed, and the greatest navy of the world willed itself into extinction. Consequences of this isolationist conservatism included protracted struggles against the Mongols, Japanese pirates ravaging the coast of China, incursions by the Japanese into Korea, and eventually the weakening of the Ming Dynasty. The quality of imperial leadership deteriorated, and court eunuchs came to exercise great control over the emperor, fostering discontent and factionalism in the government. Ripe for a takeover, China again fell to alien forces when in 1644 A.D. the Manchus took Beijing and became masters of North China, establishing the last Chinese Imperial Dynasty, The Qing.
HISTORY OF THE QING DYNASTY: For the second time in its history, China found itself ruled by outsiders when the Manchus took Beijing and overthrew the Ming Dynasty, establishing the last imperial dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911 A.D.). The Manchus retained many institutions of Ming and earlier Chinese Dynasties, continuing Confucian court practices and temple rituals. The Manchu emperors supported Chinese literary and historical projects of enormous scope. The survival of much of China's ancient literature is attributed to these projects. However the Manchu were suspicious of Han Chinese, so the Qing Dynasty rulers took steps to ensure that the Manchus were not simply absorbed into the larger, dominant Han Chinese population.
Han Chinese were prohibited from migrating into the Manchu homeland, and Manchus were forbidden to engage in trade or manual labor. Intermarriage between the two groups was forbidden. In many government positions a system of dual appointments was used--the Chinese appointee was required to do the substantive work and the Manchu to ensure Han loyalty to the Qing Dynasty. The Qing regime was determined to protect itself not only from internal rebellion but also from foreign invasion. After all of China had been subjugated, the Manchus conquered Outer Mongolia, gained control of much of Central Asia and Tibet.
The Qing became the first dynasty to eliminate successfully all danger to China from across its land borders. The power of the Chinese Empire reached the highest point in its 2000-year history, and then collapsed. The collapse was partly due to internal decay, but as well due to external pressures exerted by the Western European powers. Ironically the fatal threat to the Qing Dynasty did not come overland as in the past, but by sea in the form of traders, missionaries, and soldiers of fortune from Europe.
The mindset that China was in every respect superior to outside “barbarians” resulted in an inability to evaluate correctly or respond flexibly to the new challenges presented by technologically and militarily superior Western European countries. Ultimately this cultural rigidity resulted in the demise of the Qing and the collapse of the entire millennia-old framework of dynastic rule. China was literally dismembered by Western European countries who fought over the carcass like so many wild animals. Shortly after the Sino-Japanese War the Western-educated Sun Yat-sen had initiated a revolutionary movement which established a republican form of government, overthrowing the last imperial dynasty. Of course the Republic of China was in turn overthrown by the Communists after the conclusion of World War II.
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ADDITIONAL PURCHASES do receive a VERY LARGE discount, typically about $5 per book (for each additional book after the first) so as to reward you for the economies of combined shipping/insurance costs. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. All of our shipments are fully insured against loss, and our shipping rates include the cost of this coverage (through stamps.com, Shipsaver.com, the USPS, UPS, or Fed-Ex).
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If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked 30-day return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price; 1) less our original shipping/insurance costs, 2) less any non-refundable fees imposed by eBay. Please note that though they generally do, eBay may not always refund payment processing fees on returns beyond a 30-day purchase window. So except for shipping costs and any payment processing fees not refunded by eBay, we will refund all proceeds from the sale of a return item. Obviously we have no ability to influence, modify or waive eBay policies.
ABOUT US: Prior to our retirement we used to travel to Eastern Europe and Central Asia several times a year seeking antique gemstones and jewelry from the globe’s most prolific gemstone producing and cutting centers. Most of the items we offer came from acquisitions we made in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) during these years from various institutions and dealers. Much of what we generate on Etsy, Amazon and Ebay goes to support worthy institutions in Europe and Asia connected with Anthropology and Archaeology. Though we have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, our primary interests are ancient/antique jewelry and gemstones, a reflection of our academic backgrounds.
Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia antique gemstones are commonly dismounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset. Before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, we try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them originally crafted a century or more ago. We believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting.
Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with us that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today. We can set most any antique gemstone you purchase from us in your choice of styles and metals ranging from rings to pendants to earrings and bracelets; in sterling silver, 14kt solid gold, and 14kt gold fill. When you purchase from us, you can count on quick shipping and careful, secure packaging. We would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from us. There is a $3 fee for mailing under separate cover. I will always respond to every inquiry whether via email or eBay message, so please feel free to write.