Manual on Chrysanthemums, 1 juan

Qing dynasty (1644�1911), Qianlong period (1736�95)

Compiled by Hongjiao (18th century); proofread and edited by Li Kai (1686�1755)

Beijing: Chunhui tang, 1757

10 columns per half folio; 21 characters per column; white folding margin at center of folio; double-line borders; overall dimensions of volume: 25.1 x 15.5 cm; block sizes of text: approx. 18.4 x 13.0 cm; stitched binding

Inventory number: 02753

Chrysanthemums (ju) are native to China, where they have been cultivated since about 1000 b.c.e., with improved forms appearing around 500 b.c.e.� Their gorgeous autumnal blooms have long been celebrated in China, where they have been the subject of countless poems, essays, and paintings as well as many specialized monographs.

This manual on chrysanthemums was compiled by Hongjiao, the fourth son of Yinxiang (1686�1730), the first Prince Yi, and a grandson of the Kangxi emperor.� It lists and describes the salient features of 100 types of chrysanthemums.� The names of these horticultural varieties range from simple descriptive ones based on color or shape to those evoking other flowering plants to those drawn from historical figures or literary sources.� The careful and detailed descriptions are helpful since the manual is not illustrated.� In his "Classification of Chrysanthemums," appended at the end of the manual, Hongjiao divides the 100 varieties of chrysanthemums into 6 classes, namely the shen (divine), the miao (wonderful), the yi (untrammeled), the jun (outstanding), the yan (beautiful), and the yun (harmonious).