The Book That Was Too Fragile to Open

Cambridge University Library recently added selections from its Chinese collections to its Digital Library site. Among them is the 17th-century Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shi zhu zhai shu hua pu). The book is so fragile that until digitization no one was allowed to open it.

Created in 1633 by the Ten Bamboo Studio based in Nanjing it is important as both the earliest and the most beautiful example of multicolor printing anywhere in the world

Images: ‘Manual of Calligraphy and Painting’ (‘Shi zhu zhai shu hua pu’) (Chinese, 1633), polychrome xylographic print (courtesy Cambridge University Library)

Link

More: online at the Cambridge Digital Library.