Invention of paper pai?
pa...@email.unc.edu
where the translator used “mahjong’ for “Gu Pai” (bone pai), but upon
checking with them found out that there was no actual evidence for
mahjong tiles, and the original text could have been referring to bone
cards instead. Now I have found a possible lead for the invention of
the flexible paper cards during the late Ming where bone cards were
apparently used previously.
In a 2007 book by Jonathan D. Spence titled “Return to Dragon
Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man” ISBN 978-0-670-06357-4 there is
mention of the possible invention of flexible paper playing cards. The
information comes from the publication “Taoan mengyi” (published 1646)
by Zhang Dai (1597-?1680). This work has a complete annotated French
translation titled “Souvenirs râvés de Tao’an” by Brigitte Teboul-Wang
(1995).
The quote from Spence (pp 24-25) is:
“…there was a group that met to play cards, using flexible paper cards
of Zhang’s own design rather than the thicker variants made of bone
that had been common previously. These playing cards were focused
around the themes, so standard a part of Ming dynasty life, of the
cultured scholar and the extrovert military man. Zhang Dai’s cousin
Yanke, who had been such a failure as a musician, was an imaginative,
even brilliant deviser of new card games, drawing countless elements
from the familiar repertory into fresh competitive patterns of
dazzling complexity.”
Hope this information is of use to those who can read either Chinese
or French.
Dan
tsloper
the entry for the year 1294 in FAQ 11h.
BTW, paper cards were in Europe & Islam in the early Ming, not that
that has anything to do with it.
Tom
pa...@email.unc.edu
Yes, it seems that this secondary source may have overstated the case.
While “the thicker variants made of bone that had been common
previously” may indicate that paper cards may not have been common
previously, they may have already existed in some form, and “flexible
paper cards of Zhang’s own design” may actually indicate that the
design on the cards was novel rather than that Zhang invented paper
cards.
Thierry has looked at the French translation and may be following up
by looking into the characters used in the original Chinese version.
Apparently there is some lack of clarity. If anyone locates a copy of
the Chinese printing of this information, please let us know. The part
on cards, according to the secondary source, should be Section 8
Number 11.
Dan
tsloper
> Thierry has looked at the French translation and may be following up
> by looking into the characters used in the original Chinese version.
Looking forward to hearing of further developments! - Tom
ithinc
> Thierry has looked at the French translation and may be following up
> by looking into the characters used in the original Chinese version.
> Apparently there is some lack of clarity. If anyone locates a copy of
> the Chinese printing of this information, please let us know. The part
> on cards, according to the secondary source, should be Section 8
> Number 11.
Hello Dan,
Did you mean a copy of "Taoan mengyi" or the 1294 document? You can
send me a mail to get a phtocopy of the related info. But just no more
surprising news in it, I would say.
ithinc
pa...@email.unc.edu
> Did you mean a copy of "Taoan mengyi" or the 1294 document?
Thanks ithink,
I was referring to the "Taoan mengyi" and I would love to get a copy
of the part from the Chinese version that mentions cards (should be
Section 8, Number 11) if you have it.
Dan