To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the ecades of development of profound collections in the University libraries, the University Library System and the Art Museum are mounting a joint exhibition “From the Treasure House” to share the wide range of valuable publications, manuscripts and artworks with our community. The time span of the 120 selected exhibits stretches over 3500 years, among which oracle bones of the Shang dynasty (ca. 1675-1029BC) and manuscripts of our contemporaries are included. The exhibition runs from 10 January to 19 May 2013 at Gallery I, Art Museum, CUHK.
The Library rare book collection dating from the 13th to early 20th centuries reviews the history of Chinese book printing, developing from monochrome woodblock printing, gradually to multi-colour, the moveable type printing and modern technology printing. Woodblock printing and editing of Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) has been highly regarded by scholars and connoisseurs, and the Yi benyi fulu zuanshu (“Original Meaning of the Book of Changes with Commentaries”) in the University Library collection reflects such excellence. It is known that the form, content and printing technology of some East Asian countries were influenced by Chinese printing. The Tripiṭaka Koreana printed from woodblocks of the 13th century is the earliest complete Korean edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon, Da zang jing in existence. Among many other Chinese, medical and architectural titles of the pre-20th century, the Aurelii Cornelii Celsi medicinae liber, primus incipit published in 1493 in the western books collection is the oldest publication.
In the past five decades, it is the generosity of many donors and the foresight of our
predecessors that have contributed to the gradual growth of this most valuable collection. The exhibition comprises manuscripts, letters, calligraphy and painting by well-known literati, scholars and artists from the 19th to 20th centuries, including Zhu Ciqi (1807-1881), Jian Chaoliang (1851-1933), Chen Botao (1855-1930), Kang Youwei (1858-1927), Ma Kiam (1882-1959), Zhou Zuoren (1885-1967), Chao Yuen Ren (1892-1982), Qian Mu (1895-1990), Zhu Guangqian (1897-1986), Qian Zhongshu (1910-1998) and so on. It serves as a time tunnel which gives insights of how wisdom and knowledge has been accumulated and transferred with the devotion of successive generations throughout our history. We sincerely hope that From the Treasure House we inherit, that our generation continues to commit ourselves in the preservation of rare and precious heritage items for their aesthetic and scholarly value.
為慶祝香港中文大學成立五十周年，大學圖書館系統與文物館特此合辦「書海驪殊」珍藏展覽，以誌其盛，並與公眾分享圖書館經歷數十年拓展已漸具規模的館藏。是次展出珍藏約120種，年代跨度超過3500年，包括商代(約公元前1675-1029)甲骨、古籍善本、20世紀書刊、書畫拓本及名人信札手稿等。
圖書館的善本特藏展示中國印刷術沿革，由雕板刻印至活字印刷，繼以現代印刷，同時由單色刋本發展至多色套印。元代(1271-1368)刻本向來以雕工精細、校閱精審見稱，從展出的《易本義附錄纂疏》可得見大概。中國古代印刷影響及至東亞，其中館藏據13世紀雕版刊印之《高麗藏》為現存朝鮮漢文《大藏經》的最早版本。此外，圖書館亦有西文書籍特藏，有助全面了解書籍印刷歷史。特藏以20世紀前有關中國、醫學及建築的書刊為主，最早刋本有1493年出版的Aurelii Cornelii Celsi medicinae liber, primus incipit。
過去五十年，有賴前修旁搜博採及各界歷年惠贈，圖書館各類文獻收藏日漸宏富。展品包括逾五十種清代至當代名家書畫、手稿及信函，作者有朱次琦(1807-1881)、簡朝亮(1851-1933)、陳伯陶(1855-1930)、康有爲(1858-1927)、馬鑑(1882-1959)、周作人(1885-1967)、趙元任(1892-1982)、錢穆(1895-1990)、朱光潛(1897-1986)、錢鍾書(1910-1998)等。盼望是次展覽能令參觀者巡廊憶舊，溫故知新，窺見歷代先賢業績，緬想中國文化的綿延。藉着舉辦「書海驪珠」珍藏展，香港中文大學圖書館並寄望吾人努力不懈，繼續存護富有學術、文物價值的珍貴文獻。
More here: http://www.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/Exhibition/ULS_Treasures/
(ACCESS 9 January 2013)
