The Trail of Time: Time Measurement with Incense in East Asia (Needham Research Institute Stu) [Hardcover]

Silvio A. Bedini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0521374820 | ISBN-13: 978-0521374828

This book is a scholarly study of a virtually unknown aspect of the history of horology (timekeeping), compiled from Chinese and Japanese historical and literary records, some of which are translated and published here for the first time. Incense timekeepers played an important role in early Chinese social and technological history, in addition to their use for time measurement. They were used in temples for religious rites, in agricultural regions for regulating water for irrigation, in palaces and government offices, and in the studies of scholars. A fascinating compendium of knowledge about a neglected aspect of Oriental culture, this book will appeal not only to historians of China and Japan, but to the growing number of collectors and museum curators who are interested in incense clocks. It is illustrated with black and white halftones of a large number of the clocks, which are renowned for their beauty of design and quality of workmanship. The book also includes a catalogue of incense clocks which have appeared in auction houses and museums.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...recommended to anyone with an interest in East Asian combustion horology. It is, in fact, the only full-length monograph devoted to the subject in a Western language....The wealth of illustrations at the back of the book are particularly valuable since they include photographs of items in the author's own collection that would otherwise be inaccessible to the student of such instruments. This book will probably remain the standard reference for collectors of antiques and researchers on this subject for some time to come." China Review International

Book Description

A scholarly study of a previously neglected aspect of Oriental culture. Compiled from Chinese and Japanese historical records, some of which are translated and published here for the first time, this book demonstrates the important role which incense timekeepers played in early Chinese social and technological history, in addition to their use for time measurement.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 366 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 27, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521374820
• ISBN-13: 978-0521374828
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,753,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Very Best Book on Incense, September 28, 2003

By 

David P Oller (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trail of Time: Time Measurement with Incense in East Asia (Needham Research Institute Stu) (Hardcover)

Don't let the title fool you, besides information on Incense Clocks this book is the best researched and written book on incense in the English language. Over twenty-five years of research went into the endeavor, which will remain the English standard on incense for sometime to come.

Silvio Bedini writes an academic quality book, complete with footnotes, sources, and extensive bibliography. A work one would expect from the Historian Emeritus of the Smitshonian Institute.

This book has been a primary resource for many of us researching and writing about incense. It's a first addition and well worth the investment!