A Botanical Exchange: The Emperor Likes Flowers
- Format:
- Journal Article
- Year:
- 2011
- Journal Title:
- Chinese Cross Currents
- Volume:
- 8
- Issue:
- 2
- Language:
- Abstract:
One of the most famous maps of China was drawn by Michael Boym, SJ (卜弥格 Bu Mige, 1612–1659). The map is also the first one produced (c. 1652) by the Jesuit missionaries who sought to acquaint Europeans with their knowledge of the country’s territorial divisions and some of its minerals and plants. Hence, one finds on Boym’s map depictions of rhubarb (大黄 ta huang) and ginger (姜 jiang).(1) Martino Martini, SJ (魏匡国 Wei Kuangguo, 1614–1661) included a description of the ginseng plant (人参 renshen) in his Novus Atlas Sinsis, and the Plinus Indicus (c.1618–1630) contains a detailed record of the herbs and plants Johann Schreck (Terrenz), SJ (邓玉函 Deng Yuhan, 1576–1630), had observed, with illustrations of them rendered in their natural colors, and their identifying names in Chinese characters (Figure 1).(2) To this may be added the seventeen colored illustrations of plants in Boym’s botanical geography of China, the Flora Sinensis (1656), the remarks on Chinese plants recorded by Louis Le Comte, SJ (李明 Li Ming, 1655–1728) and those found in the Lettres édifiantes.(3)Thus, while the missionaries were disseminating knowledge about Chinese herbs and plants in Europe, the Chinese were observing the exotic specimens the Portuguese had imported to their colony at Macau. Some Chinese Observations. The Aomen jilue (澳门记略, A History of Macau) was written by two Chinese officials who successively served at Macau. It was started by Yin Guangren (印光任, ?), who became the Vice-Prefect (同知 Tongzhi) in 1744 and was completed by his successor, Zhang Rulin (张汝霖, 1709–1769)?(4) Believed to have been published c 1753, the book is divided into two chapters, the second of which is devoted to all matters pertaining to the Portuguese settlers. For instance, they had a plant which was known as chang pu (菖蒲) or calamus. This plant formed part of the “tribute” the Portuguese submitted to the Beijing court in 1722. These ten pieces of calamus from the “Great Western Ocean”, were presented together with examples of piper longum (荜菠 bibo), aloe vulgaris (卢荟 luhui), grapes (葡萄 genus Vitis, putao), cardamom (白豆蔻 baidoukou), nutmeg (肉豆蔻 rudoukou), and a variety of white or yellow roses referred to under the generic heading of tufei (荼蘼).(5)The different characteristics of some of the floral specimens came to the attention of members of the Chinese literati class, who began to compose poems extolling their virtues. Chen Gongyin (陈恭尹 1631–1700) versified about a flower which in China was identified as being a chrysanthemum from the west (西洋菊 xiyang ju, Figure 2). This flower was actually a lily, which as it bloomed, to Chinese eyes, transformed and mutated itself into a chrysanthemum.(6) An entry for a hanging scroll entitled “Chrysanthemums from the West” (洋菊 yangrju) may be found in the Shiqu baoji (石渠宝笈), a well-known catalogue of paintings and specimens of calligraphy that were preserved in the various halls of the Forbidden City.
- Who (Jesuits):
- What (Subjects):
- Where (Locations):
- When (Centuries):
- Page Range:
- 66–77
- ISSN:
- 1810-147X