重思故技 Re-discovering Joseph Needham's Science and Civilisation in China 2020 重思故技

Aesthetic Aspects of Chinese Printing

Chinese printing is composed of text printing and image printing, and image printing was originally the woodcut. In the ancient China, the woodcut was always used to produce illustrations in books. Illustrations are forms of graphic art. In the process, the woodcut gradually became highly complicated and delicate art.

(I) Beginnings of Chinese Graphic Art in Print

The earliest woodcut illustration is Diamond Sutra (金剛經) (868), found in Dunhuang. In a frontispiece (Fei Hua) at the beginning of the roll, it depicts a Buddha sitting in the centre and talking with his disciple Subhuti who kneels on the ground. The clothes, facial expression and the background on the picture show complicated details, reflecting the art and technology of woodcuts in the Tang Dynasty that have a certain maturity.

Figure: Diamond Sutra(金剛經) , 868 Source: British Library

In the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties, the standard of artistic and technical skills of woodcuts improved. Illustrations were no longer limited to the religious books but also expanded to various types of the book such as Confucian classics, medical classics, science and technology, agriculture and so on. For example, Xin Yi Xiang Fayao (新儀象法要) is a book about the armillary sphere, written by Su Song and published in 1127. It depicts the sixty drawings of the instrument.

Figure: Xin Yi Xiang Fayao, 1127Source: Su, S. (1985). Xin Yi Xiang Fayao. [Hunxiang Liuheyi & Luiheyi]. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. pp 18, 51

(II) Woodcuts in the Ming Period

The woodcut in book illustration reached a golden age in the Ming dynasty. During the Ming dynasty, the business and industry boomed. The rise of the new audiences increased the demand for printed words and pictures. The woodcut illustrations not only appeared in books such as fiction, drama and poetry but also appeared on scientific works, historical, geographical, primers and biographical writings. In the late 16th and early 17th century, the woodcut illustrations reached a peak in Chinese history. These illustrations were exquisite and detailed and produced by folks.

Figure: Xixiang Ji (西廂記), 1498 Needham, J. & Tsuen-hsuin, T. (1985). [First illustrated edition of the Ming drama Romance of West Chamber]. Science and Civilisation in China Volume V Chemistry and Chemical Technology Part I: Paper and Printing. by Tsien Tsuen-hsuin, PH.D. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 263

(III) The Decline of Woodcut Illustration

During the Qing Dynasty, the woodcut book illustrations were less than the Ming Dynasty. However, the official demand for woodcut illustrations had increased. In the early Qing Dynasty, many illustrated books were produced to record the imperial life such as imperial ceremonies, imperial gardens, military campaigns, journeys and collections of ritual and so on, and accompanied by poems by the emperors. After 1800, the woodcut illustrations did not have significant development. In the late Qing Dynasty, the introduction of western printing techniques and facilities gradually replaced the woodcut illustration. However, the art of woodcut still survives to this day.

Figure: Nanxun Shengdian (南巡盛典), 1777Recorded the four-time southern inspection tours (1751, 1757, 1762 and 1765) of the Qianlong emperor (乾隆帝) Source: The Palace Museum

Figure: Yu Zhi Bishu Shanzhuang Sanshiliu Jing Shi (御制避暑山莊三十六景詩), 1712Depicts thirty-six sceneries of the Chengde Mountain ResortSource: The Palace Museum

(IV) Development of Chinese Multi-colour Woodcut Printing

Chinese multi-colour woodcut printing also named thao pan (套版) or tou pan (餖版). It was produced by a group of multiple pieces of blocks, each block needs to continuously print on paper based on different coloured water-based ink.

The initial development of the multi-colour woodcut printing was fill in the colour by hand in the block with black outlines. After, applying different colours in different parts of the same block. Later, in the Ming dynasty, it developed to use many different sizes of blocks for different colours and different tones.

Figure: Chinese multi-colour woodcut printingSource: Sina

The origin of multi-colour woodcut printing is beyond verification. The earliest colour printings may have been a single sheet of woodcut - Dongfang Shuo Piao (東方朔盗桃), found at Xian. It was printed at Pingyang under the Jin dynasty in the early 12th century, based on the painting of the Tang artist, Wu Daozi (d. 792). It has three colours - black, grey and green.

Figure: Dongfang Shuo Piao(東方朔盗桃), 12 centurySource: Han Tang Wang

In the 17th century, the development of colour woodcut printing reached its peak. The new technology appeared. It no longer used black lines to outline the blocks, but directly applied colours to the blocks, displaying different graded tones without using outlines. The technique of gong hua (拱花) also developed. It refers to using the engraved block to put pressure on the paper to create the embossed effect or use concave and convex two-plate to emboss on the paper to produce the effect of relief. Shihuzhai Jianpu (十竹齋箋譜) and Shizhuzhai Shuhua Pu (十竹齋書畫譜) produced by Hu Zhenyan are the masterpieces. Both of them are printed in five colours. Shizhuzhai Jianpu applied gong hua (拱花).

Figure: Shizhuzhai Jianpu (十竹齋箋譜), 1627Source: Auckland Museum

Figure: Shizhuzhai Shuhua Pu (十竹齋書畫譜), 1625Source: Harvard Art Museums

(V) Popularity of New Year Pictures (年畫)

(V) Popularity of New Year Pictures (年畫)

New Year Picture is a genre of Chinese painting and a kind of folk art in China. It is used in the New Year, so named New Year Picture. The origin of New Year Printings could be traced back to Tang or the earlier period, used as interior decorations such as calendar and door gods to protect the house. In the late of the Ming dynasty, the technique of multi-colour woodcuts was widely applied, and the New Year printing increased in popularity. The themes of New Year Printings are diversified such as the figures symbolised to happiness, prosperity and longevity (bat, peach, peony), gods, landscape, family life and children and so on.

Yang Liu Qing (楊柳青) and Suzhou (蘇州 )were two major centres of producing and publishing New Year Picture, representing the northern and southern schools, respectively.

← Techniques and Procedures

The Spread of Printing to the West →

Reference:
Auckland Museum. (n.d.). Shi zhu zhai jian pu (Ten Bamboo Studio letter paper). Retrieved from https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collection/object/am_library-catalogq40-42890
British Library. (n.d.). Printed copy of the Diamond Sutra. Retreived from https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-diamond-sutra
Harvard Art Museums. (n.d.). Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting: Volume 7. Retrieved from https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/201359
Han Tang Wang. (2017). Dongfang Shuo Piao. Retrieved from https://m.weibo.cn/1267580610/4139238716830913
Needham, J. & Tsuen-hsuin, T. (1985). Science and Civilisation in China Volume 5 Chemistry and Chemical Technology Part I:Paper and Printing (pp. 252-287). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sina Culture. (2019). Yinju Xihu De Ta Rang Shichuan Bainian De Dou Ban Gong Hua Jueji Chong Xian Yu Shi. Retrieved from http://k.sina.com.cn/article_2516798477_96034c0d00100k4w8.html? from=cul
Su, S. (1985). Xin Yi Xiang Fayao (pp 18, 51). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company.
The Palace Museum. (2001). Nanxun Shengdian. Retrieved from https://www.dpm.org.cn/ancient/hall/161758.html
The Palace Museum. (2001). Yu Zhi Bishu Shanzhuang Sanshiliu Jing Shi. Retrieved from https://www.dpm.org.cn/ancient/hall/160060.html

Page updated

Google Sites