Charles Randles
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Charles Randles
@randlesc.bsky.social
150 followers 280 following 100 posts
Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art, SOAS. Freelance editor of works about China and Korea.
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randlesc.bsky.social
Just a heads up, especially to those in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, Edinburgh University Press will once again have its St. Andrew’s Day sale. 50% off all books. November 29th and 30th.
Graphic announcing the St. Andrew’s Day book sale. Save 50% on all books Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November.
November 18, 2025 at 9:51 AM
randlesc.bsky.social
This is interesting. Are you looking at the Zuo Tradition Reader by the same translators? Both the 2016 print ed. and the Project Muse ebook of the full translation of Zuo Tradition have 'fused ribs,' not 'spectacular muscles.'
Chong’er arrived in Cao. Lord Gong of Cao had heard that Chong’er had fused ribs and wanted to see him naked. While the noble son was bathing, he watched him from behind a curtain. The wife of Xi Fuji said, “I have observed that the followers of the noble son of Jin are all worthy to act as counselors to the domain. If he uses them as counselors, that fine man is certain to return to his domain. And when he returns, he is certain to achieve his ambitions among the princes. After he has fulfilled his ambitions among the princes, he will punish those who have violated ritual propriety, and Cao will be at the top of this list! Why don’t you show your difference from the Cao ruler early on?” So Xi Fuji presented the noble son with a plate of cooked cereal and placed a circular jade pendant on the plate. The noble son accepted the cooked cereal but returned the jade pendant.
August 31, 2025 at 6:20 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
Connoisseurs and conmen

"This book examines John Hilditch (1872-1930), a notorious collector of Chinese art who lied, hoaxed and manipulated in his struggle against museum experts to become a cultural authority."

2026 University of Manchester Press
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526177391/
Book cover of Connoisseurs and Conmen: The contest for cultural authority in early twentieth-century Britain by Lewis Ryder, published by University of Manchester Press (April 2026). The cover features an illustrated museum scene with classical statues and adults and children moving through the museum or stopped in conversation.
July 20, 2025 at 4:01 AM
randlesc.bsky.social
I’ve found the passage. Page 77 of *Singular Listlessness - a Short History of Chinese Books and British Scholars* by T. H. Barrett. Text transcribed in the Alt. The paragraph begins on page 76.
What [Legge] did for books at first, other than use his own, is unclear: the holdings accumulated two hundred years earlier in the Bodleian were hardly adequate for modern research. They had been expanded somewhat by 1876, as a catalogue published in that year by Joseph Edkins (1823-1905) shows. But this list still runs to less than three hundred titles, including about forty works by Protestant missionaries, and some other items in Japanese and Mongol, as well as a few paintings and maps. Edkins, incidentally, seems to have been a worthy successor to Kidd: the famous pornographic novel The Prayer-mat of Flesh is rendered here with Lewis Carrollesque whimsy as The Meat and Spinach Garden In 1881 and 1882 these resources were expanded by the purchase of the library of Alexander Wylie (1815-1887), a missionary scholar whose career in China, principally in the service of the British and Foreign Bible Society, had been cut short by failing eyesight.
June 8, 2025 at 7:44 AM
randlesc.bsky.social
Just received the catalog of the Guimet’s exhibition La Chine des Tang. Delighted to see a section on tea by Catherine Despeux.
Cover of the exhibition catalog, La Chine des Tang. A greenish background and lettering against a block of dark blue. First page of the table of contents (in French): Introduction à la Chine des Tang Michael Höckelmann Cosmopolitisme à Chang’an Ring Xinjiang Les relations extérieures et le commerce de la céramique sous les Tang Qin Dashu Les croyances traditionnelles sous les Tang Christophe Decoudun La mode sous les Tang: un phénomène indissociable de la route de la soie Zhao Feng Le thé dans la Chine des Tang, la période du thé bouilli Catherine Despeux Second page of the table of contents (in French). Construction, urbanisme et aménagement de la Chang’an des Tang Gong Guoqiang Geumseong, capitale des Silla unifiés, au goût de la Chine des Tang Arnaud Bertrand Chang’an et les premières capitales permanentes du Japon Nicolas Fiévé Chang’an, une vie dans un damier en mouvement Arnaud Bertrand et Huei-Chung Tsao Le faste de la cour des Tang Qi Dongfang Calligraphes, peintres et poètes à la cour de Chang’an Yolaine Escande Quand Xi’an ressuscite Chang’an: l’héritage de la cité des Tang Arnaud Bertrand Two page spread of items tea related items from the exhibition.
December 17, 2024 at 7:03 AM
randlesc.bsky.social
The Edinburgh University Press' St. Andrew's Day sale is coming up November 30th and December 1st. 50% off all books. Including the Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Art.

edinburghuniversitypress.com
November 27, 2024 at 5:44 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
Le Hait Moyen Âge chinois by Pablo Blitstein is now out.

www.lesbelleslettres.com/livre/978225...
TABLE DES MATIÈRES Remerciements Note liminaire : précisions terminologiques Introduction La longue durée du haut Moyen Âge Lignes directrices et plan de cet ouvrage Langage du chercheur, langage des acteurs Chapitre premier. D'une unité à une autre : entre les Han et les Jin L'empire des Han, ses acteurs et ses institutions La fin des Han L'empire se disloque Les Trois Royaumes Les familles illustres entre la fin des Han et le début du haut Moyen Âge Les Jin et leur unité Le nouveau sens des appartenances Chapitre II. Dispersion politique et souverainetés fragmentées La conquête du Nord Souverainetés fragmentées, manorialisme et citadelles Le Sud sous les Jin orientaux La frontière du Nord et les contradictions des Jin La Garnison du Nord Changements démographiques et fiscaux Chapitre III. La stabilisation des formules politiques Le Nord Les dynasties du Sud au V° siècle Chapitre IV. Vers une nouvelle forme d'unité impériale La division genrée du travail politique Les dynasties du Sud Division et unification La synthèse des Sui Chapitre V. Développements sociaux, politiques et intellectuels des couches lettrées (III®-IVe siècles) L'affirmation de soi Précisions historiques sur la catégorie de shi I ou « lettré » La puissance des lettrés au ilie siècle Caractérologie et conversations pures Études des mystères, doctrine des noms : une définition conflictuelle des règles en commun L'emprise lettrée sur le recrutement La loi et la « familisation » du monde lettré Le rôle des femmes dans le monde lettré Géographies intellectuelles Chapitre VI. Développements sociaux, politiques et intellectuels des couches lettrées (IVe-VIe siècles) Le Sud Le Nord Chapitre VII. Prêtrise et monachisme (Ille-IVe siècles) Le mouvement des Maîtres célestes et les mouvements taoïstes de la fin des Han et des Trois Royaumes La diaspora céleste L'empire des Cheng-Han (ive siècle) et la nouvelle expérience politique des Maîtres célestes Les moines et les nonnes bouddhistes Le pouvoir du monastère À la conquête de la cour Chapitre VIII. Prêtrise et monachisme (IV°-VIe siècles) L'autonomie en question : monastère, empire et « déviations » Les défis des Maîtres célestes dans le Sud : déviations et rébellions La réforme du Joyau sacré et l'invention du moine taoïste La réforme taoïste dans le Nord : Kou Qianzhi et le taoïsme d'empire Le monastère et son bouddhisme d'empire La poussée du bouddhisme dans le Sud à la fin du Ve siècle et au début du VIe Déviance, rébellion et institution aux Vº et VIe siècles Moines et prêtres dans l'empire unifié Chapitre IX. Production, reproduction et esthétique pendant le haut Moyen Âge Maintenir la vie Calligraphie, musique et peinture : la transformation lettrée du visuel et du sonore La production textuelle Conclusion : la politique de la différence Annexes Chronologie Principaux États « barbares » de la période Souverains de la période (sélection raisonnée) Bibliographie Table des cartes Table des figures Index Cahier des cartes et plans INFORMATIONS DÉTAILLÉE • 528 pages • 4 Illustration(s) N&B, 15 Illustration(s) couleurs, 12 Carte(s), Index, Bibliographie • Livre broché • 15 x 21.5 cm • Histoire • N° dans la collection : 158 • Parution: 04/10/2024 • CLIL : 4036 • EAN13: 9782251455822 • Code distributeur : 75683
October 30, 2024 at 4:56 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
Just discovered that the Proceedings of the Sixth Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art, Research on Early Chinese Lacquer Buddhas, is available to read online or download at the National Museum of Asian Art's website.
repository.si.edu/handle/10088...
Cover of Research on Early Chinese Lacquer Buddhas showing three sculptures showing left to right: Wood-core lacquer buddha, Walters Art Museum, 25.9; hollow-core lacquer buddha, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1944.46; hollow-core lacquer buddha, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 19.186 Table of Contents: Lacquer and Buddhist Sculpture in East Asia, Sixth-Eighth Centuries Denise Patry LEIDY Plates Exploring the Techniques of Early Chinese Lacquer Buddhas Donna STRAHAN Lacquer Analysis of Five Buddhist Sculptures Blythe MCCARTHY Highlights of Chinese Lacquer Research at the Getty Michael R. SCHILLING, Arlen HEGINBOTHAM, Julie CHANG, and Jessica CHASEN Chinese Texts on the Fabrication of Jiazhu Sculpture Julie CHANG Sculptures by Anige and Liu Yuan at the Yuan Court Anning JING Lacquered Bodies: Whole-Body Sarīra as Relic and Image Justin R. RITZINGER Body Relics in Tibetan and Mongolian Traditions Chandra REEDY Lacquer Sculptures in Japan: The Latest Scientific Report about the Seated Senju Kannon Bosatsu of Fujiidera Mai SARAI Chinese Chronology, Warring States Period through the Republic of China
September 6, 2024 at 2:57 AM
randlesc.bsky.social
Éditions Belles Lettres just announced the publication of a bilingual (Chinese/French) edition of Deng Xizi 鄧析子, Yin Wenzi 尹文子, and Gongsun Longzi 公孫龍子. www.lesbelleslettres.com/livre/978225...
Cover of Ècrits de trois dialecticiens de la Chine des Royaumes Combattants.
June 5, 2024 at 4:16 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
Just received Holy Smoke:Censers across Cultures (Hirmer books). Warning. It comes wrapped in carbon paper which transfers to the book (intentional) but also to hands, clothes, countertops, upholstery, and other books if they touch (unintentional). Frustrating. Good collection of essays though.
April 2, 2024 at 4:27 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
Edinburgh University Press' St. Andrew's Day sale starts November 30th. 50% off all books. Great selection on books about Islic art & architecture, like @stephenniem 's book on Alid shrines or Steinhardt's on China's early mosques. edinburghuniversitypress.com
Banner advertising St. Andrew’s Day sale.
November 30, 2023 at 4:34 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
Also, Jonathan Clements’ The Emperor’s Feast which came out a few years ago during the pandemic.
Cover of The Emperor’s Feast by Jonathan Clements.
November 27, 2023 at 6:15 PM
randlesc.bsky.social
It’s turning out to be a good year for books about Chinese food. First, Fuchsia Dunlop’s Invitation to a Banquet, and in a few days Françoise Sabban’s La Chine par le menu (Les Belles Lettres) and in May, China in Seven Banquets by Thomas David Dubois (Reaktion Books). h/t to Florian Louis. 1/2
Cover of La Chine par le menu by Françoise Sabban. Cover of China in Seven Banquets by Thomas David Dubois.
November 27, 2023 at 1:05 AM