Complete Collection of Ten Bamboo Studio Decorative Letter Papers
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A complete collection of ten bamboo studio decorative letter papers, printed by Rongbaozhai in Beijing in 1952. Woodblock print in ink and colour on paper, string binding, titled by Yu Feian, first printed in about 1644, originally edited by Hu Zhengyan (c.1582 - c.1672), the four volumes including nearly 30 categories of 300 prints of different objects, motifs, and subjects of traditional Chinese scholarly interests, the 1952 version printed by historian Zheng Zhenduo and writer Lu Xun, published by Rong Bao Zhai in Beijing, incorporating the traditional printing technologies of multi-colour block printing and embossing used in the very first edition, and is the earliest complete version of the collection in recent Chinese history. 31.4 cm long, 22.5 cm wide, 5.5 cm deep (with case), 1.1 cm thick (each volume). Provenance: Private Collection NSW (c.1582 - c.1672). Hu Zhengyan, the chief artist-editor of the catalogue, was an artist, author, and seal-cutter. He and a few other artists and scholars in Nanjing established the Ten Bamboo Studio. Versatile, Hu was particularly fitting to bring out a book with woodblocks printed in colour. Besides enhancing the multi-colour block printing technique, he was also said to have invented the embossing technology. Also known as blind printing, embossing is a feature that uses an uninked woodblock to press a raised design into the paper. Such experiments in printing prove the depth of technical research being made in China at the very end of the Ming Dynasty. Together with an earlier publication, The Treatise on the Paintings and Writings of the Ten Bamboo Studio, the catalogue has since been hailed as a masterpiece of Chinese colour printing and design of all time. Few copies of the original versions survived. One was later discovered by historian Zheng Zhenduo and writer Lu Xun, and became the master copy of the Republic and the 1952 versions printed by the two. Rong Bao Zhai, one of the most prestigious publishing-house-and-art-suppliers established during the early Qing dynasty, published about 200 copies in 1940-however incomplete, due to the condition of the master copy, and then about 300 in 1952 - this time in complete collection, both executed in the spirit of 'reviving the traditional and classic methods of Chinese colour printing'. ''1952' A catalogue of the same version can be found in the British Museum collection Registration number: 1984,0203,0.55.1-4 It was exhibited in The Printed Image in China: from the 8th to the 21st Centuries in 2010, and published in the exhibition catalogue of the same name. Bibliography: Robert T. Paine, Jr., 'The Ten Bamboo Studio', Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Vol. 48, No. 274 (Dec., 1950), pp. 72-79 2011
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- Embossed / Repousse - Embossing, also known as repousse, is the technique of decorating metal with raised designs, by pressing or beating out the design from the reverse side of the object.It is the opposite of chasing, where the decoration is applied from the front. An embossed or repoussed object may have chasing applied to finish off the design.
- Qing Dynasty - The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. It was established by the Manchu people, who originated from the northeastern region of China. The Qing Dynasty was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
- Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.
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