ABSTRACT
In the fall of 1991, I attended a conference at the University of Pittsburgh. During my free time I sought out the cultural and intellectual diversions the large city had to offer. I visited museums and art galleries. At one museum, I came across a display of rare documents-European books and manuscripts-that reflected the scientific climate of the Renaissance. Marking the end of a long hall was a round glass display case. The centerpiece, elevated within the case, was a copy of Astronomia Europaea, an account of Jesuit scientific accomplishments in China during the years 1669 to 1679, written by the head of the Jesuit mission, Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688), and published in 1687.1
Surrounding this impressive volume were some of Verbiest’s notes concerning his work and life in China. My attention was immediately drawn to one paper whose penciled diagrams seemed to involve the luoshu.
