The spring,the seed and the tree: Gregory of Tours on the wonders of nature

In the preface to his liturgical calendar The reckoning of the course of the stars Bishop Gregory of Tours (538–594) — author also of Ten books of histories and Eight books of miracles as well as of a Commentary on the understanding of the Psalter (of which, however, only fragments are preserved) — declares God's “wonders” of the natural world to be superior to the seven ancient wonders of the world. The reason for this is that the latter, being works of men, are subject to decay and destruction, while the former, as miraculous works of God, are divinely sustained and renewed daily or annually, thereby becoming imperishable. An examination of the associative contexts in which two of these wonders — the sea (enlarged to include water in its various forms) and plant life — occur in the rest of Gregory's works reveals several essential themes of his thinking not only about nature, but also about God, man and society. Thought, for him, nature as a (divinely sustained) system of regularities does exist as a kind of backdrop, sudden unpredictable divine — and sometimes diabolic — action in and through phenomena occupies the center of the stage. Gregory tends to see this action in the shape of what he regards as pre-existing images or patterns of invisible spiritual truth, to which the visible, even material, structure of events must necessarily conform. He shows, too, how this action could reflect as well as meet various needs of the individual and of society as a whole. An association which recurs almost constantly in his treatment of divine action in these natural phenomena, which he sometimes describes as analogous to that in man, is precisely that with the cluster of closely related concepts of renewal, rebirth and creation ex nihilo. Together with what appears as an extreme, as it were ‘poetical’, sensitivity to sudden perceptions and intuitions, something like a longing for and surrender to what he describes as “astonished admiration” may have helped to make possible his recognition of that which he designated as divine creative power in the world of visible reality as well as in man's inner experience. His seeing this as an essential dynamic of the holy may mean that he felt it to be a fundamental need and concern not only of the individual personality but also, more obscurely, of the society in which he found himself.     

清代雍乾朝经营敦煌述论

敦煌(沙州)地处嘉峪关西边,西接新疆之哈密,南连青海之柴达木,具有极其重要的战略地位,清朝为加强嘉峪关外地区的控制,从雍正初年开始经营敦煌等地.从雍正初年到乾隆中期,清朝在敦煌先后设置了沙州所、沙州卫、敦煌县,并从甘肃各地招募了贫民前来屯垦.     

抗战时期吴泽霖对贵州少数民族民风民俗的调查研究

抗战时期,大夏大学由上海迁至贵阳后,社会学系仍由吴泽霖教授主持,于1938年春建立社会经济调查室,附属于文学院,亦由吴泽霖主持。一年后,为促进工作效能、充实研究内容和设备,将该室改名为社会研究部,“从事进行有系统之调查与研究,以冀促成贵州社会建设之事业”。“特别着重黔省境内苗夷生活之实地调查工作。”     

东汉士人的游艺风气

“六艺”（礼、乐、射、御、书、数）,是中国古代儒家要求学生掌握的六种基本才能。在东汉中后期,随着士人个体内心的觉醒,士人从对“六艺”的全面掌握,逐渐转变为侧重于掌握琴、棋、书、画等艺术性科目,而且“六艺”的礼仪功能逐渐被其中蕴涵的娱乐性、游戏性、抒情性等审美特质消解。带有审美特质的士人游艺活动增多,渐成为他们日常生活的常态,游艺已成为东汉中后期士林的一种时髦风气。     

读画家陈枚的两件作品

陈枚是清朝雍正、乾隆时期的宫廷画家,其画作流布并不很广,有关他的生平记载的材料也不是很丰富,且较为分散。画家陈枚的生平资料,见于胡敬的《国朝院画录》、张庚的《国朝画徵录》、佚名的《读画辑略》、冯金伯的《国朝画识》等书的记载。综合以上诸书内容可知：陈枚字殿抡,号载东,晚年号枝窝头陀,     

Studies On Lacquerwares from Between the Mid‐Warring States Period and the Mid‐Western Han Dynasty Excavated in the Changsha Region

The development of lacquerwares reached its peak between the Warring States Period and the Han Dynasty (390–87 bc ) in the Changsha region of China. By studying excavated fragments of lacquers from this period, this paper examines the constitution of various pigmented layers, such as red, black and white layers, coloured lacquer layers, namely reddish brown or reddish orange, dark‐coloured or black, and silver lacquer layers, using non‐destructive methods. In addition, the characteristics of lacquer production techniques in Changsha are also discussed in comparison with those of other regions in China during the same period of time.     

全面加强志书编纂质量管理刍议

从修志实践上看,受撰稿人员志德、专业水平、工作经验、社会阅历所限,基层撰稿人员与主管审查验收领导对志书质量标准把握不一致,志书编纂过程程序不完善,基础环节质量保障机制缺失,审查验收制度不健全,审稿把关不够严,以及在审、编、校、印等环节中,重审验志稿,轻编辑校对印刷等因素影响,一些地方的志书编纂质量较差。因此,对志书(包括年鉴)编纂应全面加强质量管理,在贯彻落实《地方志书质量规定》的基础上,细化和完善本地质量管理措施,建立符合实际的质量保障机制,切实提高地方志书的编纂质量。在具体工作中把握好五个重点环节:最大限度地发挥编辑人员的群体智慧是提高志书质量的基础;建立以主编为中心的主编负责制是提高志书质量的关键;确定编纂流程管理备案制,规范编纂程序是提高志书质量的重要措施;实行志稿评议是保障志书质量的有效手段;坚持编纂督查通报和审查验收是提高志书质量的重要环节。     

满清文化融合的使者、闺秀文化发展的领袖——恽珠

恽珠充分发挥自己“名父之女”、“满贵之妻”和“令子之母”的特殊社会文化身份,编选出版《国朝闺秀正始集》及其续集,并辑录《兰闺宝录》,成为得统治者认同的正统闺秀文化典范,对满汉文化的融合与闺秀文化的发展作出了杰出贡献。     

观徐扬画平定西域献俘礼图卷

乾隆二十年（1755年）和乾隆二十三、二十四年（1758、1759年）清朝中央政府与新疆准噶尔部蒙古族达瓦齐及维吾尔族（即回部）大和卓木波罗泥都、小和卓木霍集占（简称大小和卓木）的地方叛乱势力,在地域相当广大的地区内,进行过规模很大的战斗,并且最终取得了胜利。为此,乾隆皇帝弘历决定将这次平定叛乱的战斗除去用文字记载于史册外,     

谈清宫皇帝后妃油画半身像

油画对于中国来说是一个外来的画种,经过美术史家多年的努力,它东传的时间和途径已然大致明确。但研究中还是有很多缺环。近些年来对清朝宫廷绘画实物及相关资料的发现,为欧洲油画东传的过程提供了更多的信息。本文通过对流传至今的清宫油画作品进行梳理,提出一些想法,或可补充关于"西画东渐"的叙述。