芸香二酉

序

苏州自古风物清嘉，在江南烟雨氤氲着的写意山水中，在私家园林葱茏的精致回廊上，走出了众多吴中文人。唐宋以来，就有写经印本供养于古刹浮屠；后至明清繁华，藏书家、刻书家层出不穷，如钱谦益绛云楼、黄丕烈士礼居、潘祖荫滂喜斋、瞿启甲铁琴铜剑楼等，皆独步一时，为书林翘楚。虽历经千年沧桑，珍善之本，完好如初，流传有绪，成为古城苏州文化的见证。

自苏州博物馆草创之际，前辈们便积极搜求古籍文献，而诸多社会贤达亦纷纷响应，将家藏珍品捐献国家。朱德元帅的恩师李根源先生、民国元老何亚农的子女、曲园后人俞平伯先生、海粟楼主人王佩诤教授、顾沅后人顾翼东教授，是其中代表。

苏州博物馆藏中文古籍十万余册，大抵为一九一一年以前的稿本、抄本、校本及印本，虽不云多，堪称精善，尤以佛教经卷、地方文献、碑帖拓本、名家手稿等为特色。自二〇〇七年开展的全国古籍普查工作开展以来，苏州博物馆已有六十八种善本入选国家珍贵古籍名录，一百三十一种善本入选江苏省珍贵古籍名录，其中不乏历史文献性、学术资料性、艺术代表性俱佳的古籍珍品。

兹特选择唐至清历代写本、印本、拓本数十件，展现馆藏古籍、碑拓之菁华，以见先人在写经供养、雕版印刷、金石传拓中的智慧与虔诚。千载以来，水墨、木石一旦化作满室芸香，承载着思想与文化，继往开来，绵延不绝。

是为序

谢晓婷

苏州博物馆馆长

Drunk in the Sea of Books——the Antique Books and Stele Rubbings from the Collection of Suzhou Museum

Preface

Since ancient time, Suzhou has embraced elegant landscapes and created high-quality objects. Many literati were born and raised in these landscapes of hills and rivers with misty drizzle, or private gardens with delicate, winding corridors. They were known for their poems and calligraphy which have enlightened generations of people with the fragrance of books. Since Tang and Song dynasties, sutras, for instance, have been printed for worshipping in Buddhist temples and pagodas. In particular, Ming and Qing dynasties witnessed the birth of many book-collectors and book-engravers among whom there were representatives such as Qian Qianyi of Jiangyun lou, Huang Pilie of Shili ju, Pan Zuyin of Pangxi zhai, Qu Qijia of Tieqin Tongjian lou, etc. Their collections, having been well-kept and passed down for hundreds of years regardless of the vicissitudes of the times, embody the culture of Suzhou as a historic city.

Since when Suzhou Museum was established, many people were endeavoring to collect antique books. This was subsequently followed by an increasing number of people who donated their family collection, such as General Zhu De’s teacher Li Gengyuan; children of He Yanong; scion of the owner of Qu Garden, Yu Pingbo; Owner of Haishu lou, Professor Wang Peizheng; scion of Gu Yuan, Professor Gu Yidong.

Suzhou Museum houses a collection of over 100,000 volumes of Chinese antique books. There are manuscripts, hand-copied books, revised books, or block-printed books most of which approximately date back to the time before 1911. This collection is not special for its quantity but its quality, especially in respect of Buddhist sutra scrolls, local literature and chronicles, calligraphy rubbings of stele. Since the beginning of the National Census of Antique Books in 2007, there have already been 68 types of rare antique books selected in the List of National Treasured Antique Books, 131 types in the List of Provincial Treasured Antique Books (Jiangsu). There is no lack of antique books that embrace historic, academic or artistic value.

This time there are many manuscripts, block-printed books or stele rubbings selected from Suzhou Museum’s collection by which wisdom and devoutness of our predecessors during the process of sutra-writing, of worshiping, of block printing and of inscription rubbing are manifested. When wood and stone are re-shaped and placed on the bookshelves of scrolls with light teal and pale yellow silk book cover, thoughts and cultures will be simultaneously created, nurtured, spread and perpetuated for good and all.

Xie Xiaoting

Director of Suzhou Museum