Dragon's Brain Perfume: An Historical Geography of Camphor (Brill's Indological Library, 14) - Hardcover

Donkin, R A

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9004109838 ISBN 13: 9789004109834

Publisher: Brill Academic Pub, 1999

Synopsis

In the Dragon's Brain Perfume (a Chinese description of Camphor) once more the existence and importance of world systems of exchange becomes clear. In the pre-industrial world aromatic substances have always counted among the most prominent items of long-distance trade. The finest camphor came from Malaya, Borneo and Sumatra, but long-distance trade took it to societies at the geographical poles of demand - China and the medieval West already in late Antiquity (ca. 6th century A.D.). In India it was in use at an even much earlier period.
The present monograph opens with a survey of aromata generally - origins, time and place of demand - from the Ancient Civilizations to the Age of Discoveries. Chapter two concerns the natural history of camphor; subsequent chapters are organized by regions (India, Western Asia, the medieval West, South East Asia, China and Japan), with a postscript on Origins and Diffusion.
Evidence is drawn from an extensive range of sources in natural and cultural history.The work includes 15 original maps, 28 illustrations, and an extensive bibliography.

About this title

About the Author

R.A. Donkin, Ph.D. (1953) Durham, Litt.D. (1993) Cambridge, is Emeritus Reader in Historical Geography and Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. He has published extensively in the field of historical geography, most recently Pearls and Pearl-fishing; Origins to the Age of Discoveries (American Philosophical Society, 1998).

Review

'...an extremely valuable account with an encyclopaedic character...it will become a standard reference work for many scholars and is likely to stimulate our appetite for more scholarly works of this type - "commodity studies" on "little things" which many "theory-driven" historians have tended to ignore during the last two decades.'
Roderich Ptak, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2000.
'...Donkin's book is very useful for those who are interested in historical medicine, incenses, and perfumery. It also deals with cross-cultural trade appropriately.'
Chén Kuo-Tung, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2001.
'...this book is of very great interest, and will be essential reference material for anyone concerned with trade and cultural exchange in the ancient world.'
Claude Guillot, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 2001.

Edition details

• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 9004109838
• ISBN 13: 9789004109834
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 307