The Collection of Songs among the Flowers 花間集

The Collection of Songs among the Flowers 花間集 is the earliest extant anthology of poetry in China, and includes examples by literati poets of the late Tang Dynasty (618–907). The collection is considered a precursor to the Chinese ci 詞 poetry (song lyrics) of the Song Dynasty (960–1279).

USC's copy, donated by James Tang, is an annotated edition by Tang Xianzhu 湯顯祖 (1550–1616), a prestigious Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). According to the colophon, it was printed around 1620 (Gengshen year of the Wanli reign 萬曆庚申). This edition is an excellent example of two-color printing in black and red 朱墨套印 in the late Ming dynasty.