Imperial Examination Cheats' Sheet. [科舉考試作弊小抄].

[China].. circa1850.. Four columns (per side) of closely transcribed “fly-head script” (蝇头小字), Chinese manuscript characters in brush and black ink on a double-sided silk handkerchief or sheet, 41. x 37.5 cms, narrow border, a little edgewear with minor loss to the foot and very occasional professional restoration in the body of the text by Grimwade University Services, University of Melbourne, in remarkably fine condition. An unusually fine example of a late Qing Dynasty cheats' handkerchief or sheet; an aid for passing the civil service exam under the [科舉] keju system in imperial China. The system became dominant during the Song dynasty (960–1279) and lasted for almost a millennium until its abolition during the late Qing dynasty reforms in 1905. The production and use of these handkerchiefs was highly secretive and the punishment for their use was harsh. The candidate transcribed as much information in tiny characters as possible: usually Confucian classics or juridical material. The exam system was supposedly merit-based, but the promise of social mobility inherent in passing the exam was limited in real terms to those with access to education.

On this fine example the candidate has divided the contents into individual sections with headings. These headings were taken from The Great Learning, one of the Confucian Classics. The contents in the cheat sheet appear to be the candidate's own interpretation of the order and harmony of society, as well as moral self-cultivation. Some of the heading topics include: Virtues [明明德]; Caring for the people [親民]; Urge people to study the outside world [格物]; Practicing self-cultivation [修身]; Once cultivated, the own family was brought to unison [家齊].

Rare on the market in such fine condition.
Provenance: Dr Genevieve Cummins; private collection NSW. .