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Daniel Fried

The First Print Era: The Rise of Print Culture in China’s Northern Song Dynasty

The First Print Era: The Rise of Print Culture in China’s Northern Song Dynasty

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  • More about The First Print Era: The Rise of Print Culture in China’s Northern Song Dynasty

The First Print Era explores the rise of print culture in China during the Northern Song Dynasty, focusing on how it affected intellectual culture, the expansion of the exam system, the canonization of Tang and earlier models, antiquarianism and connoisseurship, the birth of Neo-Confucianism, the growth of a new literati culture, and the development of calligraphy as an art form.

Format: Hardback
Length: 142 pages
Publication date: 05 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd


The First Print Era delves into the emergence of print culture during China's Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127). By consolidating a wealth of primary sources from the period and scholarly research on various facets of Song print history, the book presents the first comprehensive English narrative of how print established itself as a persistent means of textual dissemination in China. While exploring technical advancements and the expansion of the print industry, the book centers its attention on the profound impact of print on key aspects of Song intellectual culture, including the expansion of the exam system, the canonization of Tang and earlier models, the rise of antiquarianism and connoisseurship, the emergence of Neo-Confucianism as a new intellectual force, the flourishing of a new literati culture and innovative forms of literary production and critique, and the development of calligraphy as an art form that could be taught, critiqued, and divided into schools.

Overall, the book charts a transformative journey of print publication, transitioning from a highly centralized state enterprise to a broader elite usage and eventually evolving into the popular print markets that gave rise to new forms of expression during the Southern Song and Yuan dynasties. This book holds immense value for students and scholars of Asian studies, Medieval studies, and those with an interest in print history and Chinese studies.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032345277

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