Seeing through Pictures and Poetry: A History of Lenses (1681)

With the words, “appended below are the specifications for all of these types of lenses” (82), the early Qing author Li Yu (1611–80) rather awkwardly interrupts the second chapter of his vernacular short story (huaben) “A Tower for the Summer Heat” (Xiayi lou) with a long descriptive list of optical devices.1 After developing the story for a full chapter, Li Yu reveals to the reader and the female protagonist that her suitor has been using a telescope to spy into her courtyard. This list of lenses that start fires, magnify insects, burn incense, and provide women with a portable mirror, are described as “of a type” with that telescope, the optical device on which the plot hinges. The list concludes with a clue to why the meticulous (and even obsessive) Li Yu assumes that this list will enhance the story: he encourages his readers to visit the shop