| 英文摘要: |
Since Jesuits came to China in the late Ming dynasty, a large number of Western scientific instruments were introduced into the court in the forms of tributes, merchandises or imitation. Based on the newly found manuscript Yiqi Zongshuo, this essay discusses the collection and classification of Western scientific nstruments in the Qing court, and points out that these instruments were classified into three grades either according to their workmanship (corresponding with the grading system of ceramics, paintings and other antiquities), or according to their significance in the ritual system. Yiqi Zongshuo explained and illustrated the structures and functions of 62 Western scientific instruments in detail, among which Orrery, pendulum and reflecting telescope were first introduced in China, demonstrating how new Western knowledge was disseminated at the time. |
