A New Book of Chinese Designs

Artist and publisher Matthias Darly British
Artist and publisher George Edwards British
Calligrapher Joseph Champion British
1754
Not on view
Book with title, index and 114 numbered plates (out of 120) of 'A New Book of Chinese Designs', etched and published in 1754 by the British caricaturist, printseller and ornamental engraver Matthew Darly, in collaboration with George Edwards. Apprenticed to the clockmaker Umfraville Sampson in 1735, Darly worked with Chippendale in the 1750s, and engraved most of the plates for the 'Director'. During 1755-57, he worked in partnership with the ornithologist George Edwards, and in the early 1760s he published many political prints, with a particular dedication to social satires from the mid-1760s. The book contains a variety of ornamental and costume designs of Chinese inspiration, some of them photostatic reproductions of the original works (including the title). It has green and white half-leather binding.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: A New Book of Chinese Designs
  • Artist and publisher: Matthias Darly (British, ca. 1720–1780 London)
  • Artist and publisher: George Edwards (British, Stratford 1694–1773 Plaistow)
  • Calligrapher: Joseph Champion (British, Chatham 1709–1765)
  • Published in: London
  • Date: 1754
  • Medium: Illustrations: etching, engraving, and photostat reproductions of 8 plates
  • Dimensions: Book: 12 × 9 13/16 × 1 3/16 in. (30.5 × 25 × 3 cm)
  • Classifications: Books, Ornament & Architecture
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1931
  • Object Number: 31.88(1-122)
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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