Gubugu lu 觚不觚錄

Gubugu lu 觚不觚錄 "About a goblet not being a goblet" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) collection written during the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Wang Shizhen 王世貞 (1526-1590), whose collected works are called Yanshantang bieji 弇山堂別集.

The 1-juan-long Gubugu lu describes the system of court statutes of the Ming dynasty. These are explained in great detail and give a deeper insight into how these rules were practised than the official regulations. For each topic, a short introduction is provided that covers the subject comprehensively. The title comes from a saying that highlights the difference between name and fact, which is a practical extension of Confucius's 孔子 (551-479 BCE) claim that designation and reality (of rite and status) must be identical.

The book was compiled on the basis of the lifelong experience that Wang Shizhen had as a courtier.

The Gubugu lu is included in the series Guang baichuan xuehai 廣百川學海, Baoyantang miji 寶顏堂秘笈, Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Xu shuofu 續學郛, Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說, Jieyueshanfang huichao 借月山房匯抄, Zhihai 指海, Moguzhai chongchao 澤古齋重鈔, Shiguju huichao 式古居匯鈔, Gujin shuobu congshu 古今說部叢書, Shuoku 說庫, Shengchao yishi chubian 勝朝遺事初編 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.