New acquisitions from Window to China project

November 29, 2012
First box of 40 scrolls in the 丹青重宝 (Painting Treasures) collection of 300 ancient Chinese paintings. Image from china.wisc.edu.

Originally published on the Wisconsin China Initiative site.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries recently received a new collection of donated materials, valued at $32,600, from the National Library of China through the “Window to China” project. Founded in 2006, “Window to China” makes donations to libraries and other institutions around the world.

“The UW-Madison Libraries is a grateful beneficiary of the National Library of China’s ‘Window to China’ Project,” said Dianna Xu, East Asian Studies Librarian at the Memorial Library.

The most recent acquisitions include over 800 books and other items, which amount to 23 percent of the library’s newly-added Chinese collections for 2011 and covers such subjects as history, literature, archaeology, fine arts, travel and ethnic nationalities.

One noteworthy item in the latest donation – pictured here – is the first box of 40 scrolls in the 丹青重宝 (Painting Treasures) collection of 300 ancient Chinese paintings. This includes a replica panoramic painting, “清明上河图” (Along the River during the Qingming Festival), by the Song Dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145). Considered one of the most renowned works in Chinese painting, this elaborate scroll depicts daily life in the former capital city of Bianjing (today’s Kaifeng).

In 2007, UW-Madison Libraries was one of ten special recipients selected from around the world to receive singular collections. That year’s gift was valued at over $23,000. This year marks the UW-Madison Libraries’ sixth year of being a “Window to China” recipient. To date, the Library has received more than 2,112 records of books, paintings and DVDs.