[Chinese Woodcuts, Peking Jung Pao Chai]

SHIH CHU CHAI CHIEN P'U Fei An T'i

1952. Item #90201

[Chinese Woodcuts, Peking Jung Pao Chai] SHIH CHU CHAI CHIEN P'U Fei An T'i. Peking: Peking Jung Pao Chai,[with the 1952 preface] Set of four volumes (each 31 x 21.3 cm) of the TEN BAMBOO HALL POETRY PAPERS. The TEN BAMBOO HALL POETRY PAPERS, of course, date back to the late Ming period in the 17th century and is one of the earliest classics of color woodblock printing in the world. It was conceived and created by the same artist, Hu Cheng-yen, who was responsible for the 16 fascicle TEN BAMBOO HALL PAINTING MANUAL. Each of the four volumes of this facsimile edition is string-bound Chinese style with paper labels. The hundreds (267) of color woodcuts are well printed works of the Peking Jung Pao Chai, the finest color printer in China in the 20th century. In the 1972 edition of his book, CHINESE POETRY PAPER BY THE MASTER OF THE TEN BAMBOO HALL, Jan Tschichold calls the Jung Pao Chai 1952 facsimile edition (this edition), the first post-Revolution issue of this book, the finest issue and one of the most extraordinary jobs of color printing in the 20th century. That being said, it is a reprint of the original edition, which appeared in the 1930s, printed on vintage papers from the collection of the famous author, Lu Hsun. That edition is virtually unobtainable and even early post-War copies like this one are quite scarce, as well. A remarkable and lovely work very skillfully printed in gauffrage and colors. The original brocade-covered clasped wraparound box is present and near perfect, the books themselves are about fine.

Price: $6,500.00