
Contents
-
-
-
-
Knowing “Things and Affairs” in Premodern China Knowing “Things and Affairs” in Premodern China
-
Nature, Crafts, and Knowing Nature, Crafts, and Knowing
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cite
Extract
Picture a seventeenth-century Chinese shadow-puppet theatre. As the shadows deepen to darkness in the narrow streets of a provincial town, the backlit golden glow of the mulberry paper screen is a seductive magnet pulling in passersby already drawn by the blustering clash of cymbals and drums. This evening's performance tells the well-known story of the world-weary Emperor Shizong (1507–67, reign Jiajing 1521–67), who, searching for the elixir of immortality, neglects his sacrifices to heaven and leaves all state affairs to his grand secretary, Yan Song (1481–1565). Freed from restraints, the minister turns the court into a den of corruption. In the Chinese shadow theatre, the puppet depicting the minister is given the evil smirk of a demon when, in a bid for the throne, he orders a craftsman to make him the imperial regalia (a ruyi scepter). At this high point of dramatic tension, when the world trembles on the brink of utter chaos, loyal officials enter the scene. They put the maker of the regalia in custody, urging him to be their witness against the powerful prime minister. In the next two scenes the high officials run rings around the prime minister, lure him into a trap, and make him look like a fool. With the favorable applause of the audience, the play ends with a good fight in which the loyal officials thrash the villain vigorously for his sins.1Close
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
December 2022 | 4 |
January 2023 | 10 |
February 2023 | 5 |
April 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 6 |
September 2023 | 9 |
October 2023 | 7 |
November 2023 | 4 |
January 2024 | 2 |
April 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 10 |
October 2024 | 5 |
January 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 1 |
March 2025 | 7 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.