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The Two Editions of the Qian-Bian
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 March 2015
Extract
One of the most important reference works for the scholar who studies the Shang dynasty oracle bone inscriptions is the Yin-xu shu-qi qian-bian
of Luo Zhen-yu 
. This collection of rubbings was published in two editions -- one dated 1913 and a revised version which appeared in 1932. Because most scholars do not have access to either of the two original editions but rather to subsequent reprints which do not provide clear publication information, it is not immediately apparent which of the two editions one is using. This can of course lead to needless confusion. To help avoid this I have gathered information on the two editions which should aid scholars in identifying which edition of the work they have before them.
- Type
- Review Articles and Book Reviews
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Society for the Study of Early China 1977
References
FOOTNOTES
1. Shima Kunio, in his Inkyo bokuji sōrui, uses this numeration of the second edition.
2. Yan Yi-ping has been the first to speak of the “three editions” of the Qian-bian in his “Yin-xu shu-qi qian-bian di san-zhong bu-tong ban-ben” (Wen-wu hui-kan 2 (1976): 9–14, Nan-yang University, Singapore)Google Scholar. He knows only the existence of the the first two volumes of the Guo-xue cong-kan. When he speaks of the first volume Guo-xue 1-13-3 is an error for 1-31-3. For the content of the second volume, he says that Guo-xue 2-6-2 and 2-13-2 are not included in the Qian-bian. They do not appear in the if first section of the Qian-bian but figure in the fifth section (see above). His Hou-bian 1-2-9 is a mistake for 1-2-8. For the two editions of the Qian-bian he speaks of 39 modifications. Among them 9 escaped the eyes of Menzies, but had Yan Yi-ping been aware of the contributions of his predecessor, he would have added 10 others to his list.
3. The Guo-xue cong-kan has been published with only the indication of the year. Luo Zhen-yu and Wang Guo-wei, his best collaborator for this publication, both went to Japan, shortly after the beginning of the 1911 revolution. The first volume of the Guo-xue cong-kan came off the press during the spring of 1911 and the third one was published before the end of the summer of the same year. Luo Zhen-yu wrote a preface for the first edition of his Yin-xu shu-qi qian-bian and signed it on the 26th day of the 12th month of the year ren-zi, that is to say on February 1, 1913. This first edition of the Qian-bian did not come off the press before the end of February of 1913 and most probably still later. Most authors give the date of 1912, but they are in error.
4. The existence of the three volumes of the Guo-zue cong-kan has not been noticed by everybody. Paul Pelliot quotes them several times. Chen Mengjia includes them in his bibliography at the end of his Yin-xu bu-ci zong-shu (p. 672). A copy of the three volumes is available for consultation at the Fu Si-nian library of the Academia Sinica of Taipei.