Inscribing the Foreign in Early Medieval China: Xiao Yi’s (508–555) “Preface to Illustrations of Tribute Bearers”

This article is a translation and study of the preface Xiao Yi (508–555) wrote to accompany his scroll painting of foreign envoys to the Liang court. The painting itself exists only in the form of a damaged copy dating from perhaps 1077. The preface itself has been transmitted in Yiwen leiju, Wenyuan yinghua, and collections of Xiao Yi’s works. Despite statements made in the preface and in Xiao’s “Xuan lan fu” regarding his firsthand knowledge of foreigners and their ways, the preface relies heavily on quotation and paraphrase of much earlier works. It is here argued that this method reflects an embedded preference for an ossified narrative largely derived from canonical and semi-canonical texts in preference to empirical geographic and ethnographic information—a display of cultural competence to congratulate and impress Emperor Wu (r. 502–549), whose fortieth year on the throne occasioned the gift of the painting and preface.