102; 101 folding leaves. Ten juan in two vols. 8vo, orig. semi-stiff wrappers, new stitching. [China]: after 1579-1620.

A rare Ming dynasty edition, printed on fine paper, of this collection of texts by the Northern Song essayist Su Xun 蘇洵 (1009-66 CE), compiled and edited by Mao Kun 茅坤 (1512-1601), of Guian (present-day Wuxing, Zhejiang). Su Xun was the father of the even more famous writers Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101) and Su Zhe 蘇轍 (1039-1112). All three count among the so-called Eight Masters of the Tang and Song, a grouping that Mao Kun’s edition elevated. Mao had an official career... More