Chinese Medicine and Physiognomy Manual Collection.
Rare collection of nine Chinese woodblock physiognomy manuals, wonderfully illustrated with xiangfatu representing the principles and practices of Chinese physiognomy
$2,500.00
In Stock
Item Number: RRB-149715
* Custom Clamshell Boxes are hand made by the Harcourt Bindery upon request and take approximately 60 days to complete
Rare collection of nine Chinese woodblock physiognomy manuals, wonderfully illustrated with xiangfatu representing the principles and practices of Chinese physiognomy. Octavo, nine volumes bound in illustrated wrappers, illustrated with numerous physiognomic charts and diagrams. In very good condition.
Chinese woodblock physiognomy manuals, particularly those produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties, represent a distinctive fusion of visual culture, folk belief, and classical philosophy. These texts, often wonderfully illustrated with xiangfatu (相法圖)—detailed diagrams used to analyze facial features—served as practical guides for interpreting character, destiny, and moral disposition based on appearance. Rooted in traditional Chinese physiognomy (xiangshu), the manuals synthesized Daoist, Confucian, and Buddhist influences, and were widely circulated among literate and non-literate audiences alike. The xiangfatu illustrations typically depicted idealized facial types with annotated features, such as forehead shape, nose length, eye position, and ear contour, each believed to correspond to specific personality traits or life outcomes. These images were not merely decorative but integral to the interpretive function of the texts, visualizing abstract principles in accessible and standardized forms.
Chinese Medicine and Physiognomy Manual Collection.
$2,500.00
In Stock