Exemplary Hall Essay from the Metropolitan Examination
After the announcement of successful candidates, publishing houses would often compete to publish the essays of those who had earned their degrees, selling them as guides to the exams. These exemplary essays were referred to as weimo, mojuan, mocheng, zhujuan, and shibafang, among other names. They mostly proliferated in so-called lanke (lit. indiscriminately carved) collections, and fake essays were sold under the name of “new” exemplary essays, prompting officials to ban the book form. In 1670, it was approved that the Ministry of Rites would select and produce the exemplary essays from the provincial and metropolitan exams. However, in practice, the wait for the Ministry of Rites was deemed too long, and the original ban on their production by publishing houses was lifted—albeit with restrictions still in place. The selection of exemplary essays, labeled juan six, on display here was produced by the state. The entries are arranged according to the rank of the candidates and include which examination official graded and recommended the essay.
- Item No.
- 287188
- Period
- 1703
- Dimensions
- 26x15.7cm
- Materials
- paper
