The Suzhou Astronomical Chart(Tienwen Tu)
Huang Shang and Wang Zhiyuan
Suzhou, 1247(stele), late 19th century(rubbing)
 
Ink rubbing taken from a famed 13th century stele, mounted on a hanging paper scroll fashioned with wooden rods. 227 x 106 cm. total size.
 
This highly detailed map of the visible cosmos was created between 1190 and 1193 by Huang Shang, scholar and tutor to the emperor’s son. It was later engraved on a stone stele in 1247 by Wang Zhiyuan, from which this rubbing is taken. This stele, along with 3 other major Song Dynasty steles, is preserved in the Suzhou Confucian temple in the Jiangsu province.
 
Rubbings of this stele are rare and highly regulated as a preservation effort, this being only the third or fourth example on the market in the last fifty years.
 
A fine, dark impression, showing the stone in nice detail. Small closed tear on left side of mounting paper. Two small holes in the lower half. Sightly dusty, some folds and creasing throughout. Overall, a Near Fine example.
 
The chart portrays the entire visible sky from central China on a polar projection. The outline of the Milky Way, 28 lunar lodges, 280 constellations, and some 1440 stars indicated by small dots and joined into groups by straight lines are all shown. Some larger stars like Sirius are shown as larger dots. It’s one of the world’s oldest complex astronomical charts. The text also details an Earth creation story, its elemental composition, and hourly and monthly timekeeping - a remarkable scientific, historical, artistic and cultural artifact.
 
Ref:
 
- Astronomy in Ancient and Medieval China, J. Needham
- Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, Helaine Selin
- The Soochow Astronomical Chart, Carl Rufus and Hsing-Chih Tien