Ancient Inventors of and Modern Emulators:
An Attractive Craft As everyone knows, China invented printing. The fine old books of China are printed from blocks, some which are still preserved in old temples. A rare block is almost as: jainable as a rare manuscript or an early print in western countries. Chinese, the lovers, blocks still have a fascination which is perhaps equalled only by their regard for poreclai It is therefore interesting to note that very fine work is being dong t" reproduce some.of the treasures of Chinese wood block printing and that some of the best work is being done here in modern Shanghai, One of the most enthusiastic wood block printers is Mr. Tung Kan, the Minister of Justice, who attracted s" much attention when he exposed the corruptions of the Government. Ile employs a corps of about 100 men here and in Peking who reproduce the fine blocks of early dynasties and who achieve a most artistic reproduce tion. Mr. Tung Kan also preserves ancient manuscripts and rare old prints by photographie reproduction and lithography.
Some years ago, Sir Amrel Stein and the French sinologue Telliot, discovered in some caves at Tun Hua, Kansu, many old Chinese manuseripts and prints which are of the highest artistic and sinological value. Many éf these are now in. ths British Musuem and in French Museums. During his recent. visit to Europe, Mr. Tung Kan took the opportunity of studying these man-scripts and prints and of photographing many of them for reproduction in China. Chinese scholars, both the old-style and modern, regard this work as of the greatest importance and speak enthusiastic ally of it.
Mr. Tung Kan and his wood block vers are now engaged in Shanghai in reproducing a Sung print of the famous Li Chi.* They are succeeding in reproducing an exact copy of this very fine work, by pasting photographs of each page over the block of wood and carving the characters in the minutest detail inal. When this work will be exactly the Sung Li Chi which is one of the finest ex-samples of Chincee wood carving.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.