Reproduction of the seventeenth century edition, made from re-cut blocks incorporating the blind-stamping technique of gauffrage (gonghua - embossed design). Published by the historian Zheng Zhenduo and author Lu Xun. Complete work in 4 volumes with over 280 images. Woodblock prints and gonghua embossing on Xuan paper. In its original silk tapestry folding outer case. Four soft back books in sandstone-coloured paper binding with gold flecks. 31 x 2, depth 5.5 cm.
Case with wear. Books are sold as is.
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First printed in about 1644, originally edited by Hu Zhengyan (c.1582 - c.1672), the four volumes including nearly 30 categories of 300 prints of different objects, motifs, and subjects of traditional Chinese scholarly interests, the 1952 version printed by historian Zheng Zhenduo and writer Lu Xun, published by Rong Bao Zhai in Beijing, incorporating the traditional printing technologies of multi-colour block printing and embossing used in the very first edition, and is the earliest complete version of the collection in recent Chinese history.
