Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

original: "三才圖會" (Sāncái Túhuì). This title refers to a massive encyclopedia compiled by Wang Qi and his son Wang Siyi during the Ming Dynasty, first published around 1609. The "Three Realms" (Sancai) refers to the traditional Chinese view of the universe as a triad of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

Three Realms (Sancai): A cosmological concept encompassing everything in existence. In this encyclopedia, it organizes knowledge into categories like astronomy, geography, biology, and human history.

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644): The era during which this work was produced, characterized by a great flourishing of literature, art, and the printing of illustrated books.

Thread-bound book (Xiànzhuāngshū): A classic style of Chinese bookbinding where the pages are folded and sewn through the spine with silk thread, typically featuring a dark blue indigo-dyed cover as seen here.