Zhang Chao et les Ombres de Rêves ou les amitiés d'un éditeur au temps de l'empereur Kangxi

Abstract

Born in Huizhou in 1650, Zhang Chao was one of the leading citizens of the prosperous city of Yangzhou, where he became wealthy in the salt trade. An accomplished man of letters always ready to assist his confreres, many of whose books he published, he himself wrote a famous collection of aphorisms and witticisms, Shadows of Buried Dreams, endorsed by 700 comments from 115 of his friends. A careful examination of these comments, with the help of the author's own correspondence, lets us understand the genesis of this work, whose original plates gave rise to several succeeding editions, each augmented by the latest comments received. Shadows of Dreams illustrates a notable feature of Chinese xylography, better fitted to follow changes in the text over time than our Western printing, dedicated to producing editions on an ad hoc basis. Zhang Chao's book, which is seeing a revival of interest in today's China, is not simply a literary work. It is a social document revealing the network of friendships patiently woven by a wise man of the world.