Animalia: Ideas, images and descriptions of “real and unreal” animals between China and the West
Author(s)
Almonte, Victoria
de troia, paolo
Date Issued
2022
Type
review
Volume
26
Start Page
1
End Page
81
Journal
Abstract
The present volume aims to explore
the role of animals as a factor in the history
of the cultural exchange between China and
various Western territories. Over time, animals
have played a relevant role both as an
economic resource or means of transport
and, in many civilizations, as a spiritual and
mythological entity. Along the path of the
relationship between China and the West,
the central function that animals have played
cannot be underestimated: as in Western
countries, in ancient Chinese sources we
find references of animals, for instance, as
precious gifts offered to allies, or as tribute
given to the Chinese empire as a sign of
submission, or even described as vague entities
able to influence diplomatic missions
through foreign territories and so on. beings evolved.
The present volume is composed of
six articles written in English. It has a multisectoral
and multidimensional exploratory
grid, offering different directions of analysis.
Arranged in a rough chronological order,
the contributions describe the histories of
individual species (e.g., corals, gibbon, roch,
tusked deer, renyu, qilin), discuss animals and
their description in literary genres (such as
geographical works, treatises on zoology, Jesuit
works) and explore the connections between
different civilizations throughout the
centuries. Explorations of particular species
are combined with studies on specific periods
(pre-imperial, Song, Ming).