Edward Hetzel Schafer, (Chinese: 薛愛華; pinyin: Xuē Àihuá; 23 August 1913 – 9 February 1991) was an American sinologist and a noted expert on the Tang dynasty. Schafer's most famous works include The Golden Peaches of Samarkand and The Vermilion Bird, which both explore China's interactions with new cultures and regions during the Tang dynasty.
Schafer earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1947. He then became a professor of Chinese there and remained at Berkeley until his retirement in 1984. From 1955 to 1968 Schafer served as East Asia Editor of the Journal of the American Oriental Society, and from 1969 to 1984 he held the Agassiz Professorship of Oriental Languages and Literature at Berkeley. He is also known within sinology for his uncompromising belief in the importance of language skills and learning and his differing approach on this subject to John King Fairbank. His publications include over 100 scholarly articles and more than a dozen books.
Schafer died in California in 1991.
Selected works
- The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of T'ang Exotics (1963). Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press.
- The Vermilion Bird: T'ang Images of the South (1967). Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press.
- Pacing the Void: T'ang Approaches to the Stars (1977). Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press.
References
External links
| Persondata |
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| Name |
Schafer, Edward H. |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
American historian and sinologist |
| Date of birth |
23 August 1913 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
9 February 1991 |
| Place of death |
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