The first colored book of the world is now available for (digital) browsing

This is the earliest Chinese book printed by the technique of polychrome xylography known asdouban invented and perfected by Hu Zhengyan 胡正言 (1584-1674). The method involves the use of multiple printing blocks which successively apply different coloured inks to the paper to reproduce the effect of watercolour painting.

Great skill is required to achieve a convincing result, but the beautiful gradations of colour in this work have led to its reputation as “perhaps the most beautiful set of prints ever made”.

The work is divided into eight categories: birds, plums, orchids, bamboos, fruit, stones, ink drawings (round fans) and miscellany. Each category is divided into two fascicles. The leaves are printed on one side only, folded in half and glued together along the outer fold (the so-called ‘butterfly’ binding). With the exception of one category, every image is followed by an accompanying text, in most cases a poem.

This copy has been identified by the leading scholar of this work as the finest and only extant complete copy in the original binding of what he describes as the ‘second superstate’ of the first edition.

You can browse the book here

Source: udl.lib.cam.ac.uk