Desk calendar production, desk calendar printing, desk calendar design
发布时间：2023-11-13 13:55
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China’s earliest calendar dates back more than four thousand years. An oracle-bone calendar inscribed on a single oracle bone demonstrates that the Yin dynasty already possessed a remarkably sophisticated calendrical system; this particular oracle bone is the oldest extant physical example of a calendar in human history, and it is accordingly referred to as a “calendar.”
Tang poetry reads: “In the mountains there is no calendar; when the cold has passed, one knows not the passing of years.” The “calendar” may well be the earliest form of desk calendar. During the Tang dynasty, imperial historians would cut paper to size each day and bind it into a volume—one for each month. Each page bore the month and date, with blank spaces reserved for the emperor’s close eunuchs to record his words and deeds; this was the “calendar.” At the end of each month, the calendar was first submitted to the emperor for review, after which the historians filed it away for use in compiling the “National History.” Because it served both to keep track of time and to document important events, officials of both civil and military ranks eagerly sought to emulate it.
Early Development
According to historical records, as early as the first year of the Yongzhen era under Emperor Shunzong of the Tang Dynasty—roughly 1,100 years ago—the imperial court was already using a calendar. At that time, this calendar was known as the “Imperial Calendar,” which not only recorded dates but also served as crucial source material for compiling the official national history. The calendar of that period bore some resemblance to the modern diary: the year was divided into twelve volumes, with the number of pages in each volume determined by the number of days in the corresponding month. Each page bore the month and date, after which the calendar was entrusted to eunuchs who attended the emperor for temporary safekeeping. Daily, these eunuchs would record the emperor’s words and deeds on the blank pages of the calendar; at the end of each month, they would submit the completed calendar to the emperor for review and approval before it was handed over to the royal historians for archival purposes. The historians would then integrate the calendar’s entries with major events occurring at court and throughout the country, refining and polishing the material before committing it to writing, thus giving rise to the official national history.
Over time, as calendars brought great convenience to daily life, they gradually found their way into the homes of many high-ranking officials at court. After a series of adaptations, these calendars were tailored to each household’s specific needs. Later, as calendars became increasingly popular and commonplace in ordinary families, people began to print on them the traditional sexagenary cycle, monthly ordinances, solar terms, and auspicious days along the Yellow Path—while leaving ample blank space for personal notes and reminders.
As for the evolution of the lunar calendar into wall calendars, desk calendars, and other formats, this development has only taken place over the past century. Desk calendars have progressed from their original simple designs to a wide array of variations, a trend that has been driven in recent years by the expansion of the market economy and the widespread adoption and growth of the internet, which have in turn fostered greater cultural exchange—desk calendars being no exception. Most notably, desk calendars have become smaller and more refined.
Appearance,Concept,Calendar,Archive
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