Thursday, April 23, 2009
World Digital Library
The World Digital Library has been launched! Mission statement. It's still in its infancy, and I hope it grows leaps and bounds. We'll see.
Here's an example from the East Asia collection:
Title: Winds of the Four Directions
Description
This oracle bone from around 1200 B.C. contains 24 characters in four groups in a vigorous and strong style, typical of the Bin group of diviners in the reign of Wu Ding (circa 1200-1189 B.C.). It records the gods of the four directions and of the four winds. The winds of the four directions reflect the spring and autumn equinoxes, the summer and winter solstices, and the changes of the four seasons. The four winds are the east wind, called Xie; the south wind, called Wei; the west wind, called Yi (second tone in Mandarin); and the north wind, called Yi (first tone in Mandarin). They constitute the independent standard seasonal system devised by the Yin people, and were an important basis for the calendar and the determination of intercalary months. This item is from a collection of 35,651 specimens of plastrons and bones in the National Library of China, constituting one-fourth of all oracle bones discovered to date, and considered to be the finest collection in China.
Date Created
Around 1200-1180 BCE
Place of Publication
Anyang, Henan Sheng
Language
Chinese
Title in Original Language
四方风
Place
East Asia > China > Henan > Anyang Diqu
Time
8000 BC - 499 AD
Topic
Language > Other languages > Languages of East & Southeast Asia
Science > Astronomy > Chronology
Additional Subjects
Inscriptions, Chinese ; Oracle bones ; Seasons
Type of Item
Manuscripts
Physical Description
1 piece; 26 × 16 centimeters
Collection
Rubbings of Inscriptions on Metal and Stone
Institution
National Library of China
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