David Porter Ideographia History Books sku-29091427

David Porter's Ideographia: The Chinese Cipher in Early Modern Europe is a hardcover in Civilization History Books. It examines European interpretations of Chinese culture from the first successful Jesuit mission in 1583 to the failure of the British trade embassy in 1816.

The book discusses influences on European culture, including teahouses in palace gardens, stage adaptations of Chinese plays, proposals for a merit-based civil service and Confucian ideas in children's moral education. It compares European responses to Chinese writing, religious practice, trade policy and porcelain design across linguistic, theological, aesthetic and economic encounters.

Porter considers how historical circumstances shaped those interpretations and how encounters with unfamiliar cultures affected Europeans' understanding of their own society. SKU: sku-29091427.