This research investigates the correlation between colour perception and the circulation of silve... more This research investigates the correlation between colour perception and the circulation of silver in China during the Ming (1368–1644 CE) and Qing (1644–1911 CE) dynasties. The primary aim is to deepen our understanding of how silver alloys were perceived and experienced in this historical context while also situating our study within the broader context of the global silver trade. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, silver possessed immense historical significance as a precious commodity. We argue that copper had a more substantial influence on the final colour of silver alloys compared to lead. Furthermore, employing a colourimetric model, our Monte-Carlo simulation demonstrates that over 70% of silver from Mesoamerica to China could be discerned by nonexperts using only their unaided vision, largely due to the elevated copper content. Crucially, our simulation experiment reveals differing effects of copper and lead on the colour of silver alloys. The latter demonstrates minimal change until reaching a threshold of 15%, signifying that lead is a suitable and cost-effective substitute for silver. These findings suggest that the detection of silver purity was less demanding than previously assumed, opening up opportunities for arbitrage.
The circulation of silver between the Americas, Europe and China has provided a critical impetus ... more The circulation of silver between the Americas, Europe and China has provided a critical impetus for modern globalization since the 16th century. Even though substantial documentary information about this process has been collected and processed, there is still an ongoing debate about its underlying mechanism and the nature of the economic model. This article argues that the scientific analyses of the silver bullion and coins of Ming-Qing China and the Americas can offer a new source of information about this issue. This pilot study shows that the Ag concentration in Ming and Qing silver bullion is higher than that of the Americas, by around 3% and 8%, respectively. In particular, Qing silver bullion made in different reigns shows a remarkably consistent Ag content. Such a difference in the fineness could further contribute to the colossal arbitrage noted by scholars for decades, resulting in high volumes of global trading fundamentally driven by the higher price of silver in China. While quantifying its exact economic and political impacts still appears a distant prospect, as the current database is rather sketchy and many intermediate processes remain unclear, integrating scientific analyses into historical research illustrates several new patterns which helps to rethink the global silver circulation in the early modern period.
Sun, Lin. “Writing an Empire: An Analysis of the Manchu Origin Myth and the Dynamics of Manchu Id... more Sun, Lin. “Writing an Empire: An Analysis of the Manchu Origin Myth and the Dynamics of Manchu Identity.” Journal of Chinese History 1, no. 1(2017): 93–109. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/jch.2016.4 ------
Abstract: The first known record of the Manchu origin myth is found in Qing documents dating from 1636. These documents provide an official account of the origin Aisin Gioro lineage, including the story of the ancestor Bukūri Yongšon, who is depicted as the Manchu primogenitor, from his birth to his ascension to the throne. This paper would argue that the Manchu origin myth reflected the dynamics of the Manchu identity, which shifted from constructing a Manchu group to securing the Manchu rule during the period from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century. By tracing the development of this myth from its earliest extant in the seventeenth century to four different versions that appeared by the mid-eighteenth century, written in both Manchu and Chinese, this paper endeavors to shed new light on how the Manchus saw themselves, their ancestor and their empire.
This research investigates the correlation between colour perception and the circulation of silve... more This research investigates the correlation between colour perception and the circulation of silver in China during the Ming (1368–1644 CE) and Qing (1644–1911 CE) dynasties. The primary aim is to deepen our understanding of how silver alloys were perceived and experienced in this historical context while also situating our study within the broader context of the global silver trade. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, silver possessed immense historical significance as a precious commodity. We argue that copper had a more substantial influence on the final colour of silver alloys compared to lead. Furthermore, employing a colourimetric model, our Monte-Carlo simulation demonstrates that over 70% of silver from Mesoamerica to China could be discerned by nonexperts using only their unaided vision, largely due to the elevated copper content. Crucially, our simulation experiment reveals differing effects of copper and lead on the colour of silver alloys. The latter demonstrates minimal change until reaching a threshold of 15%, signifying that lead is a suitable and cost-effective substitute for silver. These findings suggest that the detection of silver purity was less demanding than previously assumed, opening up opportunities for arbitrage.
The circulation of silver between the Americas, Europe and China has provided a critical impetus ... more The circulation of silver between the Americas, Europe and China has provided a critical impetus for modern globalization since the 16th century. Even though substantial documentary information about this process has been collected and processed, there is still an ongoing debate about its underlying mechanism and the nature of the economic model. This article argues that the scientific analyses of the silver bullion and coins of Ming-Qing China and the Americas can offer a new source of information about this issue. This pilot study shows that the Ag concentration in Ming and Qing silver bullion is higher than that of the Americas, by around 3% and 8%, respectively. In particular, Qing silver bullion made in different reigns shows a remarkably consistent Ag content. Such a difference in the fineness could further contribute to the colossal arbitrage noted by scholars for decades, resulting in high volumes of global trading fundamentally driven by the higher price of silver in China. While quantifying its exact economic and political impacts still appears a distant prospect, as the current database is rather sketchy and many intermediate processes remain unclear, integrating scientific analyses into historical research illustrates several new patterns which helps to rethink the global silver circulation in the early modern period.
Sun, Lin. “Writing an Empire: An Analysis of the Manchu Origin Myth and the Dynamics of Manchu Id... more Sun, Lin. “Writing an Empire: An Analysis of the Manchu Origin Myth and the Dynamics of Manchu Identity.” Journal of Chinese History 1, no. 1(2017): 93–109. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/jch.2016.4 ------
Abstract: The first known record of the Manchu origin myth is found in Qing documents dating from 1636. These documents provide an official account of the origin Aisin Gioro lineage, including the story of the ancestor Bukūri Yongšon, who is depicted as the Manchu primogenitor, from his birth to his ascension to the throne. This paper would argue that the Manchu origin myth reflected the dynamics of the Manchu identity, which shifted from constructing a Manchu group to securing the Manchu rule during the period from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century. By tracing the development of this myth from its earliest extant in the seventeenth century to four different versions that appeared by the mid-eighteenth century, written in both Manchu and Chinese, this paper endeavors to shed new light on how the Manchus saw themselves, their ancestor and their empire.
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Papers by Lin Sun
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Abstract: The first known record of the Manchu origin myth is found in Qing documents dating from 1636. These documents provide an official account of the origin Aisin Gioro lineage, including the story of the ancestor Bukūri Yongšon, who is depicted as the Manchu primogenitor, from his birth to his ascension to the throne. This paper would argue that the Manchu origin myth reflected the dynamics of the Manchu identity, which shifted from constructing a Manchu group to securing the Manchu rule during the period from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century. By tracing the development of this myth from its earliest extant in the seventeenth century to four different versions that appeared by the mid-eighteenth century, written in both Manchu and Chinese, this paper endeavors to shed new light on how the Manchus saw themselves, their ancestor and their empire.
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Abstract: The first known record of the Manchu origin myth is found in Qing documents dating from 1636. These documents provide an official account of the origin Aisin Gioro lineage, including the story of the ancestor Bukūri Yongšon, who is depicted as the Manchu primogenitor, from his birth to his ascension to the throne. This paper would argue that the Manchu origin myth reflected the dynamics of the Manchu identity, which shifted from constructing a Manchu group to securing the Manchu rule during the period from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century. By tracing the development of this myth from its earliest extant in the seventeenth century to four different versions that appeared by the mid-eighteenth century, written in both Manchu and Chinese, this paper endeavors to shed new light on how the Manchus saw themselves, their ancestor and their empire.