Speaker: Wilt L. Idema, Professor of Chinese Literature Emeritus, Harvard University

When the Precious Scroll of the Red Gauze was first introduced to the academic world, it was presented as the earliest work in the genre, as its edition was believed to date from the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368). By now it is acknowledged that this edition only dates from the sixteenth century. Both the contents of the story and the printing of the text, however, may well deserve a second look as they lead to intriguing questions about the origins of the genre and its early use.