SHEMJ3 Shen Jisun: MOFA JIYAO. (Illustrated Essentials of Ink Manufacture). 墨法集要 。 沈繼孫 撰 . N.p. (Xiangxiang), 1894. 28 folded leaves. 20 b/w woodcut illustrations of the stages of ink stick production and one b/w woodcut illustration of ink stick moulds. 28x17 cm. Stitched, modern cloth case. GBP 1,800.00 Late Qing Guangxu period reworking of the 1775 Qianlong edition. The text truncated but retaining the illustrations of the original version. This classic work on ink production was by the Ming author, Shen Jisun. Shen's preface to his original Hongwu period edition of the work was dated 1398. The book was selected for inclusion in the Qianlong period collectanea, 'Juzhenban Congshu' produced in the 'Wuyingdian' imperial print shop. 'Juzhenban' generally refers to books printed with the copper moveable type that was used for a number of famous Qianlong period imperial book projects. The text and accompanying illustrations are considered to be an important record of traditional methods of making and decorating ink sticks. Shen's process concentrates on ink made from tong oil lampblack rather than pine soot. Twenty stages of production are shown culminating in proving the actual use of the ink for calligraphy, and an illustration of a multipart mould arrangement for fashioning and decorating ink sticks. Reprinted by a Mr. Xie Songdai of Xiangxiang - Xiangxiang being located in Hunan province. All text in Chinese. In fine condition. rare. Subjects: Scholar’s Studio Rare Books Item 114 in List 211. URL for this record: hanshan.com/?s/SHEMJ3.HTM Record produced by Hanshan Tang Books, www.hanshan.com. |