Volume 31A Short History of Paper in Imperial China

13 August 2024

Photo: De Gruyter

In his new monograph, published in the ‘Studies in Manuscript Cultures’ series, Jean-Pierre Drège tells the story of more than 2000 years of Chinese paper, from its myth-enshrouded beginnings to the present day.

In 1957, an archaeological find in Baqiao, China, shook the world of paper historians. In an ancient tomb dating from the Han dynasty, researchers discovered a bronze mirror with remnants of paper made from hemp stuck to it. This meant that it dated back to the 2nd century BCE. The discovery shattered the prevailing view that paper had been invented by Cai Lun, an official at the imperial court who lived in the first and second centuries CE. In 105, he presented his innovation to the emperor, which consisted of processing various plant fibres, netting, and recycled materials into paper. This new technique made paper suitable for a wide range of applications and contributed significantly to its spread. However, as the Baqiao find now suggested, his achievement was less in the invention than in the further development and improvement of the techniques for making paper, which had already been in use for at least two hundred years at that time.

What followed was a sharp controversy in the research community and beyond, which in part still continues today. What are the key properties of paper? Do the Baqiao fragments fall under this definition or are they merely precursors? The debate shows how complex the technological and cultural history of this material, which is considered one of the ‘big four’ inventions of ancient China, really is.

A Brief History of Paper in Imperial China by Jean-Pierre Drège, the latest volume in the book series Studies in Manuscript Cultures, begins with this controversy and then, in nine chapters, explores the story of paper in China up to the 20th century. It tells of the massive spread of paper in the late Han dynasty, of paper production during the emergence of xylographic printing from the 10th century onwards, and of the encounter between Christian missionaries and Chinese paper in the 17th century. In the 20th century, traditional paper-making methods were increasingly replaced by machine-based processes. Today, the old techniques are often only used in remote areas, often in communities of ethnic minorities.

The monograph is available on the publisher’s website. De Gruyter is currently offering a 50 percent discount on all printed editions, including all previously published volumes of SMC, until 31 August 2024.