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Wang Khi; Sancai Tuhui (Three Talents Compendium)
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Sancai Tuhui, compiled by Wang Qi 王圻 an encyclopedia, published in 1609. “Sancai” refers to the three realms of “heaven, earth, and man”, and “Tuhui” literally means “collection of illustrations”. Reproductions of this encyclopedia are still in print in China.

Taken from:  Wakan-Sansai-Zue (Sancai Tuhui)

 

Under a table in which I compare the drawings of Sancai Tuhui with another Chinese encyclopedia and a Japanese one (based on a Chinese one). The text in the third colum is from the Sancai Tuhui but identical to the other Chinese encyclopedia.

三才圖會 Sancai Tuhui

Three Talents Compendium 1607

古今圖書集成Gujin Tushu Jicheng

 Imperial Encyclopaedia  1725

Text used in the Chinese books    

         (the two books on the left)

和漢三才図会Wakan Sansai Zue

Chinese-Japanese Encyclopedia 1712


Da shi bi pa luo (Arab-Berbera)

 

Da shi bi pa luo country, there are four main countries with no kings but with local rulers As to marriage, they cut the tail of a cow who is with calf, the family of the groom has to bring a human penis (of a slain enemy) to prove his masculinity as a betrothal gift to bride's family, the bride's family being overjoyed, welcomes it by the music.

In this country there is the Camel Crane, six or seven feet long, has wings to fly, eat debris, or burning red hot copper and iron.  Eggs, such as coconut eggs, broken they are used as jars. People are good in hunting, animal husbandry and can stand the heat.


 

Tseng szu of Kuen lun (Madagascar)

 

The land of the Tseng szu of Kuen lun is in de south eastern sea. One finds there a bird called pheng, who why flying obscures the sun. It can swallow a camel. and its quills are used for water-casks. (2) The body of the inhabitants of this country is like covered with a black varnish. They take slaves from among themselves and sell them in foreign markets, and they receive textiles and provisions. (1)


Pi-p'a-lo (Berbera).

 

 

 

 

The land produces lo-t'o ho (ostrich) six or seven tens of feet long. They have wings and can fly. They eat various things, and men even heat copper or iron red-hot and give it them to eat. They lay eggs like cocoa-nuts. If you break them they are like earthenware vessels with a musical ring. The men of the country are fond of hunting and daily shoot and eat wild animals.


 

It is very clear that the Japanese drawings have remained way more faithfull to the original text (see Chao-Ju-Kua 1226)

The chinese versions have deteriorated in drawings and text. They are also identical to the text and pictures from Ning-Xian-Wang (1430)

Note: the information of the book got used (literally copied) in a Japanese encyclopedia (Wakan-Sansai-Zue 1713) and the following added to the entry for Tseng szu of Kuen lun (Madagascar):

In our days arrive on the ships of the Dutch people of which the body is painted with black varnish. They are normally called Kouro bo (in Chinese He fang) They are that lightly built and are that quick, that they climb without problems the masts of the ships.

The word Kon ron (according to the Japanese translation) is the Chinese term Kuen lun. The word bo (in Chinese fang) is a person without hair on the head and without any on the body (this makes Kouro bo, a black bald person).

(1) ALL THE FOLLOWING CHINESE SOURCES SPEAK ABOUT SELLING SLAVES BY THE PEOPLE FROM MADAGASCAR: Ch'en Yuan-Ching (late12 century); Chao Ju-Kua (1226); Chou Chih-Chung (1366); Ning Xian Wang (1430); Wang Khi (1607).

(2) That the tube of the feathers of the Roc bird are big enough to be used as buckets is found in: Buzurg ibn Shahriyar (955); Li Kung-Lin (d1106); Chou Ch'u-fei (1178); Ch'en Yuan-Ching (late12 century); Chao Ju-Kua (1226); Ibn Said al Maghribi (1250); Luo Miandao (fl. ca. 1270); Marco Polo (1295); Al-Dimashqi (1325); Chou Chih-Chung (1366); Ning Xian Wang (1430); Ibn Al Wardi (1456); Alf layla wa Layla (15th); Wang Khi (1609).

 

Note: In the Japanese encyclopaedia Tangtu xunmeng tu hui of 1719 however; the entry for Madagascar completely disappears, the corresponding figure is still present but now represents an other country. See under.  


Under details taken out of a Japanese painting called Southern Barbarians.

African slaves in Japan from a namban (screen) of around 1600