Professor Allison Bernard’s Literature and Media in China: From Inscriptions to Print Culture to New Media (CEAS 320) course examines the relationship between texts and the medium in which they are presented. For example, what is the relationship between literary texts and “books”? How does the format of a text shape the “message” that text conveys? And how have new forms of media, such as digital technologies and the internet, changed how literature is understood and consumed?
During this course, students examined various forms of media ranging from Shang Dynasty inscriptions on bronze vessels to WeChat and Weibo posts. Among the media covered were stone stele, rubbings, and woodblock prints. During two class visits to the collections, students were able to handle and examine rubbings of stone stele and early-Qing books that were printed using woodblocks.
“It is one thing to read about these objects and look at pictures in journal articles and books, but it is a completely different type of learning experience to see and work with these objects in a hands-on environment. Working with the items in the collection helped put in perspective the size of stone stele and how rubbings were used to preserve and transport images and text. It’s a tangible version of our class readings.”
– Nina Pemberton, Class of 2023
One of the most notable books in the collection is the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting (芥子园画谱). Published during the early-Qing Dynasty, the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting is a printed manual of Chinese painting technique. After its publication, many famous Chinese painters used the manual as the authority for their drawing lessons. CEAS 320 students read translated excerpts from the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting as part of their course work and discussed its influence as an early example of color printing. During the class visit, students were able to turn the pages of an early copy of this important text in person.
“It was a really unique opportunity to sit and look through a book—a primary source—which had been referenced in our reading for class. As a CEAS major, I’ve taken Chinese classes at Wesleyan, and one of the most rewarding experiences of working with the collections today was being able to read pages of the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, which was written in Classical Chinese, and understand the text and painting instructions.”
– Samantha Smith, Class of 2020
