Study on the Republications of Precious Collection Series of Wu Ying Dian Palace Press

ZHANG Xiaoqing, ZHOU Wenhua

( School of Printing and Packaging Engineering, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing 102600, China)

Abstract: In order to study the republicans of the Wu Ying Di an Palace Press precious collection series and identify the characteristics of every versions kept in the Capital Library, making investigations on the spot of the “outer precious”versions. We divide the republications of Wu Ying Dian Palace Press precious collection series into fi ve species by their main characteristics. Describe and compare the five versions printed in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. They have some similarities, such as typeface, word size and the ways of printing. Because of the different regions, every provinces reprinted the books has their own characteristics, they all tried to imitate the Wu Ying Dian Palace Press precious collection series, but all have shortcomings. Through the study of the republications, this paper provides the important reference of identifying the species of the republications.

Keywords: Wu Ying Dian Palace Press; republications; characteristics; species

清内府印《武英殿聚珍版丛书》是我国历史上最大的一次木活字印书工程，意义重大，影响深远。乾隆四十二年九月初十，大学士董诰“奏请颁发武英殿聚珍版书于东南五省各一份，情愿刊印者，听其翻版通行”。于是，江西、广东、福建、江苏、浙江各地纷纷照本开雕。这些书局的、官府的翻刻本相对于“武英殿”而言，则称为“外聚珍本”，这些“外聚珍本”，名字虽仍为“聚珍”，实已为雕版，可谓仅有“聚珍”之名，而无“聚珍”之实[1]。经翻刻的这些书被冠以总称《武英殿聚珍版丛书》。但“外聚珍”的翻刻对古籍的保存、流传，实有盖世之功。据文献记载，首都图书馆藏有江西本1套，广东本3套[2]。现在除故宫博物院、河南省历史研究所、国家图书馆、上海、辽宁、天津、湖北、复旦大学图书馆藏有全帙外，其余全部散佚，成为零种。通过对“外聚珍”的研究，可以帮助我们更好地区分殿本和翻刻本。现今的文献仅仅对“外聚珍”的特点泛泛而谈，而没有具体的实例。本文将通过具体实例对各地翻刻版进行研究。