Leaf from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting and Calligraphy

Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting and Calligraphy is one of the earliest and finest examples of color printing from China. The book, which served as both luxury object and guide for the aspiring painter, compiled familiar images from Chinese art, especially flowers, rocks, birds, and bamboo. It was published in Nanjing by Hu Zhengyan, who invited dozens of local artists to submit designs. Printed using multiple woodblocks and incorporating laboriously achieved gradients of shading, Ten Bamboo Studio remains a high watermark of printing history and evidence of the sophistication of Nanjing’s printing industry.