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Complete and
Illustrated Biographies of Transcendents, 9 juan
Ming
dynasty (1368�1644), Wanli period (1573�1619)
Compiled
by Wang Shizhen (1526�93; jinshi of 1547), with supplement by Wang
Yunpeng (fl. 1600); proofread and edited by Wang Yunpeng; engraved by Huang
Yimu (1586�1641)
Xin�an,
Anhui Province: Wanhu xuan, 1600
11
columns per half folio; 22 characters per column; white folding margin at
center of folio; single-line borders; overall dimensions of volumes: 27.9�28.0
x 16.4�16.5 cm; block sizes of text: approx. 20.3�20.4 x 12.8�13.0 cm; stitched
binding
Inventory number: 16741
This
is a collection of 581 brief hagiographies of Daoist masters and adepts who were
believed to have achieved some form of immortality.� Some entries have appended references to additional figures,
bringing the total number of subjects to 640.�
Beginning with Laozi (ca. sixth century b.c.e.), readers are provided with information on the
exemplary lives and fantastic exploits of all the celebrated Daoists, including
the sage Zhuangzi (ca. 369�286 b.c.e.),
the alchemist and theoretician Ge Hong (284�364), the scholar, physician, and
polymath Tao Hongjing (456�536), and finally with Leng Qian and other immortals
of the Ming dynasty.
There
are 203 woodblock illustrations in which the immortals are variously depicted
as wearing straw raincoats or feathered capes, riding on clouds, moving across
water, or mounted on some animal, bird, fish, mythical beast, or auspicious
creature.� Dragons, phoenixes, and
clouds in particular were understood to be efficient vehicles for transporting
the immortals to celestial realms.
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