The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-27
The Antiquity OF Printing.

At the last meeting of the Asiatic SOci-
ETY. Of Japan. Mr.. z. Satow read paper
son the early History of Printing In Ja-
pan" The art OF printing on wooden
blocks In China seems to be due TO the
accident Of some one desiring TO obtain a
fac siDltle OF an inscription on a stone
monument, In the first instance by the
process Of rubbing any coloring matter
over the paper, and subsequently by COW
ering the stone with Iudia ink, placing
the paper against IL and rubbing. II was
probably long before the plan OF engrav-
ing composition for the express purpose
of taking copies was thought OF. In 175,
A. D., the text of the Chinese classics
was cut on tablets which were erected
outside the university, and Of these i'm
pressions were taken. some Of which are
said TO be still in existence. Printing
from wooden blocks seems to be no older
than the end OF the sixth century. IL
was not until the tenth ce ntury was we'll
advanced that printed books became COM
mon. In japan the earliest example OF
block printing dates from the middle OF
the eighth century. Before that stone in
scriptions and seals with engraved char
acteIs were in use. The early japanese
prints were chiefly reproductions of the
Chinese Buddhists and classical works,
the absence OF q native literature appar-
emily retarding the adoption of the art Of
printing. The first really national work
printed In japan was the "Ni-hon.gl," at
the end of the sixteenth century. PrIn-
ted slips containing Dharani out OF the
Buddhist Scripture were distributed
throughout Japan to the number of ,000,-
900 in !765-770; these were apparently
printed from cast copper or bronze blocks
rather than from wooden ones. The ear
liest Japanese printed books were of
considerably later date OF those which
have came down to modern times the
Oldest was printed about 1900. Printing
received great impulse from the ex-
peditions OF hideyoshi against Korea,
when q number OF books were brought
back by the yictors, and the Japanese
learned what had been achieved by q
people whom they had considered vastly
their interiors. Among these were some
books printed with movable type, con-
trivance which seems TO have found Inn
mediate favor with the Japanese, for
nearly all the books produced for the next
30 or 40 years were printed with movable
type. The use OF movable type was said
to date In China from the middle OF the
eleventh century, but the author had not
been able TO corroborate this statement.
Movable copper type was used In Korea
at the beginning of the fifteenth century,
and even earlier, indeed, one book 80
printed appeared 70 date from th9 year
1917 and 1924. And even II it were after
all not so old as IL seemed to be, there
were others dating unquestionably ante
riOr to the date OF invention Of printing
by movable type In Europe. The inveD-
ton reached Japan from Korea, and there
was distinct mention of Korean types
produced by casting and moulding about
l420 A. d. Although illustrated books
were extremely common in more recent
Japanese literature, the earliest Mr.. Sa-
tow knew bore the date 1910. Previous
to this, however, there were wood cuts
on a large scale representing the popular
gods, and to some OF these q very great
age was attributed. One of them dated
from 1017 and another was engraved by
Nichi-ren, who died in 12s2.-Ns AtAea-
dsafHU