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The Ten Bamboo
Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting, 8 juan
Ming
dynasty (1368�1644), Chongzhen period (1628�44)
Compiled
and selected by Hu Zhengyan (1584�1674); edited [and illustrated] by Gao Yang,
Ling Yunhan, Wu Shiguan, Wei Zhihuang, Wei Zhike, Hu Zongzhi, Gao You, Xingyi
heshang, et al.
Nanjing,
Jiangsu Province: Hu shi Shizhu zhai, 1644
Illustrations
printed in 5 colors (including black); overall dimensions of volumes: 29.4 x
17.2 cm; each folded-leaf of illustration or text: approx. 28.9�29.2 x
25.8�26.0 cm; butterfly binding
Inventory number: 17768
The Ten Bamboo Manual of
Calligraphy and Painting is the earliest painting manual in China to
be printed in color and the first to include isolated illustrations of natural
subjects, such as plants and flowers, fruits, and birds.� Apart from using examples of his own
calligraphy and painting, the compiler Hu Zhengyan selected works by historical
and contemporary artists.� The
woodblocks were engraved by the most highly skilled artisans from Huizhou but
personally supervised by Hu personally.�
A separate block was made for each color in a technique known as douban
(assembled blocks).� Luxury editions of
this manual incorporated gonghua (embossed design), a
blind-stamping technique used to produce illustrations with exquisite
low-relief designs.
There
are eight juan
arranged by subject matter: "Exemplars of Calligraphy and Painting,"
"Bamboo," "Ink Masterpieces," "Rocks,"
"Birds," "Prunus," "Orchids," and
"Fruits."� Each illustration
is given a double-page spread with a fold along the center and is matched with
a text or poem on an adjacent double page.
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