BODLEIAN LIBRARY

(a) by donation

The Department was the beneficiary of a huge donation of 1,500 volumes of the Ying yin wen yü an ko ssu k'u ch'ü an shu (`Complete library in four branches of literature'). This library contains the fruits of a great enterprise initiated by China's Ch'ien-lung Emperor in 1772, whereby local authorities and book collectors throughout the Empire were required to submit important titles for possible transcription and inclusion in a great manuscript library, alongside works already in the palace library and titles copied from an earlier Ming dynasty encyclopedia. Some 3,450 titles are included in this corpus, the original of which is preserved in the Palace Museum in Taiwan. We are greatly indebted to the National Palace Museum authorities for presenting this reproduction.

Also in the Far Eastern field, we are most grateful to John Swire & Sons Ltd, whose benefaction has enabled us to make some significant acquisitions. These include two sets of maps of China produced by the Land Survey Department, Japanese General Staff, between 1926 and 1945, and between 1932 and 1935, respectively. These represent the results of the most detailed survey ever made of the Chinese mainland. From the same source came funding with which to purchase a significant number of Chinese local gazetteers, similar in style to those produced in pre-modern times but having contemporary coverage. The Swire benefaction further permitted the acquisition of a substantial number of manuscripts in Chinese produced by the Yao people of Yunnan and South East Asia which are particularly significant for the light they shed on Taoist ritual and practice.

During the course of 1991 and 1992 the London booksellers Han- Shan Tang Ltd offered for sale a number of rare Chinese printed books from the estate of C Y Loo, a Chinese art dealer active in the 1930s and 40s. With the generous help of a number of donors it proved possible to acquire five of these. They are: Pa hsü n wan shou sheng tien (`Grand eightieth birthday celebrations'), 1795, which commemorates the 80th Birthday of the Ch'ien-lung Emperor. We have the most important section of the work, four chapters illustrating the festivities in the streets of Peking, which provide both an invaluable source for the social history of the period and outstanding examples of woodcut in the period.

Wu-i chih lü eh (`Gazetteer of Wuyi'), 1619, which is prized both for its illustrations of the topography of the Wuyi mountain range in Fukien and for the unique textual content of myths and legends of this area.

Pa shih i hua t'u shuo (`Illustrated account of 81 trans-formations') a mid-Ch'ing dynasty printing, which enshrines a 13th-century text. This, because it sought to deify the sage Lao Tzu, was proscribed following the great debate of 1285 between Buddhists and Taoists, which the latter lost.

Hsin tseng ko ku yao lun (`Essential discourse on the investigation of antiquities'), by Ts'ao Chao (enlarged by Wang Tso), version of 1471 which is the earliest comprehensive and systematic treatise on Chinese art and archaeology, and, as such, was the subject of Sir Percival David's well-known translation (Chinese Connoisseurship, 1971). It is believed that there are only two other copies of this work extant, both being in the National Library of China. Wu sao ho pien, 1637, which is an anthology of San ch'ü (dramatic lyrics) is a fine example of the Hui-chou school of woodcut (fl. 1582-1653).

We are extremely grateful to the MGC/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Friends of the Bodleian and Bodley's American Friends, without whose aid these treasures could not have been acquired. Our further appreciation should be recorded for a quantity of Chinese monographs donated by the British-Taiwan Cultural Institute after having been on exhibition there.

Throughout the period the Department received generous gifts of their publications from organizations active in the compilation of Japanese works in the field of local history. These are too numerous to permit individual reference by title. However, this programme of acquisition was greatly facilitated when the library entered into negotiations with the authorities in Toyota City. As part of a cultural agreement, the Mayor of Toyota undertook to stimulate officials in other jurisdictions to present their local histories to the Bodleian. This has resulted in a significant increase in this type of acquisition and 594 volumes have been received since the project began in 1992. Successive grants from the Japan Foundation Library Support Programme have made possible the acquisition of important multi- volume series. Among these we may cite the Tsushin zenran (diplomatic documents of the shogunate during the late Edo period) in 61 volumes; Meiji zenki Nihon toshi chizu shusei (a collection of maps of cities in Japan during the early Meiji period); Edo bakufu nikki (archival records of the Edo bakufu, 6 volumes); and a cumulative version, covering the years 1969-1983, of J-BISC (the CD-ROM version of JAPAN MARC). The largest donations of works in Japanese came from the Soka Gakkai International (a worldwide organisation of lay Buddhists). In succession to an earlier gift of 987 volumes made in 1979, in the period under review two further substantial donations were received: 2,300 volumes in 1988 and 6,700 volumes in 1989. In every case the selection of items for inclusion was made by the Departmental specialist. The President of Soka Gakkai International, Mr Daisaku Ikeda visited the Bodleian in 1989 and was honoured by Bodley's Librarian for his services to the Library. The Historiographical Institute of Tokyo University continued to donate its important publications of historical source material. Mr Hideo Motono presented the library with his personal collection of 2,600 periodical parts in Japanese, mostly in the fields of economics and law.

The increasing importance of Korea is reflected in the expansion of the intake of literature in Korean. This was greatly facilitated by the generosity of Mr S S Nam of the Nam Yeung Industrial Company who personally underwrote the cost of acquisitions in Korean over a period of three years, and met the cost of transhipment of three sizeable consignments. In the Korean field tribute should also be paid to Mr Adrian Hill, formerly of the British Embassy in Seoul, who helped over problems of supply, and to Mr I A Crees, former Acting Attaché, who enabled us to receive works of local history not obtainable through commercial channels. Valuable donations of printed books were received from the International Cultural Society of Korea (which was subsequently absorbed by the Korea Foundation) and the Korea Research Foundation.

An important donation of Arabic and Persian manuscripts was made by General Fereydoun Djam in memory of his son Kamran, who died in 1989. Two of the manuscripts are Korans. The first is a beautifully illuminated copy from the Safavid period (dated 1651); the second is a fine example from the late Qajar period (dated l900). Of the two remaining manuscripts one is a poem attributed to Imam Ali in the hand of the famous calligrapher Mir Emad (dated 1601/2); the other is an illuminated copy of 1709 of the collected poems of the celebrated mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi. A Persian painting of 1802/3, much loved by the General's son, depicts a ruler dispensing justice and illustrates a story written in Persian around the margin. Two further manuscripts in Persian were donated, respectively, by the Oxford Preservation Trust, and Mrs Mildred Bissinger. An Arabic manuscript was presented by Mr Carew Wallace of Wadham College. We are indebted to Professor A F L Beeston for funds channelled via the Friends of the Bodleian which permitted us to acquire examples of lithographic publishing from Fez. From the Institut fü r Geschichte der Arabisch-Islamischen Wissenschaften, Frankfurt am Main we received a complimentary set of Series C of its publications: facsimile editions.

A facsimile of the Worms Mahzor was acquired with the aid of a grant from Bodley's Canadian Friends. A Hebrew manuscript which survived the Holocaust, this is now preserved as the most valuable single item in the Jewish National and University Library. The acquisition by donation of the library of the defunct New York newspaper, Morning Freiheit, founded in 1922 by the Jewish section of the American Communist Party, has permitted the library to fill the principal gap in its holdings of Yiddish/ Hebrew literature. This may be categorised as a lack of representation of the rich Socialist literature of the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. We are indebted to Dr Harry Shukman for his good offices in helping us to secure this important donation.

More than fifty years ago a collection of Indian manuscripts was offered to the library for evaluation and possible purchase. This was when the nation was at war, and the result was that the vendor's agent never returned to retrieve his property, which at that time the library did not intend to acquire. The collection consists of some 1,500 separate items, mostly in Sanskrit, but also in Gujerati, which belonged to, or were copied by, the Vyasa family of astrologers from Gujerat, over a period of four centuries. Some of the manuscripts contain calendrical charts, astronomical tables, or horoscopes. At the time of the deposit, the intellectual importance of the collection was not evident. As a result of advances in scholarship, however, the importance of copies of such documents ranging from the 17th to the 20th century became clear. The problem that faced Dr J B Katz, Indian Institute Librarian, was to try to identify the heirs of the original depositor. After a prolonged investigation those with a claim to ownership agreed to waive it in favour of the Bodleian in consideration of a substantial donation to a charity of their choosing. The funds which permitted the donation were generously provided by Professor A F L Beeston.

(b) by purchase

So many important works were acquired during this period in this manner that it is almost invidious to single out individual titles. It should be recorded that important reprints of Chinese archival material emanating from Taiwan, such as the Ch'ing tai ch'i ch ü chu ts'e and Ming Ch'ing tang an were aquired as they appeared. The National Central Library in Taiwan has successively microfilmed the rare editions in its possession, and we were able to purchase all its films of this nature dating from the Ming period, 1368-1645, embracing 951 individual titles (approximately one seventh of the total number of rare books which have been microfilmed). In the field of Chinese local history we have bought all parts published of the series of reprints entitled Chung-kuo fang chih ts'ung shu. It is believed that the Bodleian is the only library in the United Kingdom to hold the series in its entirety.

A lavishly illuminated paper roll, bearing the entire text of the Mahabharata, was purchased in 1985. The manuscript measures almost 73 metres.

Important purchases in the Japanese field included Showa zaiseishi, shusen kara kowa made, a continuation of an earlier financial history of the Showa reign period (1926-1989); Chosen Sotokufu shisei nempo (Annual report of the Administration of the Government Central of Chosen [Korea]); and Imin chosa hokoku.

In a joint venture with the Department of Printed Books steps were taken to add to the library's collections of Karamanlidika (works in Turkish written in Greek characters). Significant additions were made to our collection of works in Turkish published during the Ottoman period.

A major acquisition was the set of the Chinese and Japanese catalogues of the Harvard-Yenching library, Harvard University. These represent a meticulous inventory of what is probably the largest library of East Asian books outside the Far East.

Unfortunately, the period under review saw a decline in the scale of acquisitions as a result of retrenchment. The situation was partially relieved by the receipt of small, non-recurrent grants in support of Turkish, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese accessions made available by the University Grants Commission following the recommendations contained in the report by Sir Peter Parker, Speaking for the future.

(c) by deposit

In November 1987, the library was designated as the sole European repository for the tapes and transcripts of the Iranian Oral History Project of Harvard University. These are the fruits of interviews with 126 persons who occupied influential positions under the regime of the late Shah of Iran and represent a historical source of the first magnitude.

(d) by exchange

The library entered into an agreement with the Saltykov Shchedrin State library in Leningrad, whereby we were able to obtain film of 72 Hebrew manuscripts in the Firkovich collection. These cover a wide range of Hebrew literature, with a preponderance of works of Karaite, Byzantine and Crimean origin, but kabbalistic and magical items also find strong representation there.