Paper Manufacturers’ Marks Stamped in the Rare Chinese Books of the Qing Dynasty

This study researches the paper manufacturers’ marks in block-printed books, manuscripts, and transcripts of the early Qing Dynasty and Emperor Qianlong’s period (1736-1796) as well as some transcripts during the reigns of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) and Emperor Daoguang (1821-1851). Different from the book collectors’ marks commonly found in ancient Chinese books, the paper manufacturers’ marks are stamped at the end of papermaking process. The study analyzes these marks’ contents, forms and stories, and evaluates them in terms of edition verification and papermaking history. The following five sections are included: (1) the contents and forms of paper manufacturers’ marks in rare Chinese books of the Qing Dynasty, (2) verifications of these marks, (3) the possible reasons why these marks are long, rectangular, and partial, (4) their value in editionology, and (5) their value in the history of papermaking. Hopefully, the above exploration will give readers an initial understanding of their value in academic research.