Ten bamboo Studio decorative letter papers (1952)

Not a european book this time. But this chinese book has a european link as Jan Tschichold once called this book "An incomparably perfect facsimile; the best printed book in modern times, anywere". This is the most beautiful book i own. All photographs are from my own copy.

Printed by Rongbaozhai in Beijing in 1952
Woodblock print in ink and colour on paper, string binding, titled by Yu Feian
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.

Hu Zhengyan, the chief artist-editor of the catalogue, was an artist, author, and seal-cutter. He and a few other artists and scholars in Nanjing established the Ten Bamboo Studio. Versatile, Hu was particularly fitting to bring out a book with woodblocks printed in colour. Besides enhancing the multi-colour block printing technique, he is also said to have invented the embossing technology. Also known as blind printing, embossing is a feature that uses an uninked woodblock to press a raised design into the paper. Such experiments in printing prove the depth of technical research being made in China at the very end of the Ming dynasty. Together with an earlier publication, The Treatise on the Paintings and Writings of the Ten Bamboo Studio, the catalogue has since been hailed as a masterpiece of Chinese colour printing and design of all time.
Few copies of the original versions survived. One was later discovered by historian Zheng Zhenduo and writer Lu Xun, and became the master copy of the Republic and the 1952 versions printed by the two. Rong Bao Zhai, one of the most prestigious publishing-house-and-art-suppliers established during the early Qing dynasty, published about 200 copies in 1940 - however incomplete, due to the condition of the master copy, and then about 300 in 1952 - this time in complete collection, both executed in the spirit of "reviving the traditional and classic methods of Chinese colour printing".

A catalogue of the same version can be found in the British Museum collection
Registration number: 1984,0203,0.55.1-4
It was exhibited in The Printed Image in China: from the 8th to the 21st Centuries in 2010, and published in the exhibition catalogue of the same name.

Theo van Doesburg cover for "De stijl"

This time only a cover. Theo van Doesburg created this cover for the Dutch magazine "De stijl". This magazine was first published in 1917 by van Doesburg. It lasted until 1932. Other contributors were: Piet Mondrian, Bart van der Leck, Vilmos Huszar, J.J.P. Oud, Jan Wils and others. This magazine had an edition from 120 to 300 copies each. Mondrian left "De Stijl" (the magazine not the movement) in, about, 1925, after van Doesburg started using diagonals.
If i weren't so fond of this magazine i would frame the cover.

"Mevrouw, de slanke lijn!" designer unknown dutch mid-thirties

B. Veldkamp and Joh. Veldkamp-Boendermaker. Mevrouw, de slanke lijn!. without year of publication. Printed in Batavia in Indonesia. Although there is no year of publication most probably printed in the 1930's. It sort of reminds me of Piet Zwart's "Kamergymnastiek voor iedereen". Although that publication misses the nice photographs in the book. Not very well known but a lot of fun to own.

Frantisek Zelenka design for czech sheet music

Not really a book this time but sheet music. All these were designed by Frantisek Zelenka, most of them for Voskovec, Werich and Jaroslav Jezek. Voskovec and Werich Are best known for their work in "The liberated theather" and a few movies (if you get the chance you should see "svet patri nam" a really good film). I escpecially like the design for the Jezek & Nezval ones, these are the ones designed in yellow and red. All these designs were made between 1932 and 1938.
Frantisek Zelenka is not really well known here in the west. If you ever have some spare time use this to search the internet for some information on him. He made some stunning designs for the theatre, interior and (as you can see below) sheet music. I'm not sure but i've never seen any book designs by him.

Karel Teige's design for "dilo Marcela Prousta" and the prospectus

Praha, Odeon, 1929. In total 14 volumes were published (All the works by Marcel Proust translated into czech). All volumes have more or less the same design. Allthough i only have two volumes of the series, my aim isn't to get the whole series this will cost me a lot of money for books which all sort of look the same. What i do like is that i got the prospectus for the series also designed by Teige.
It seems like, over the last couple of years, czech avant-garde books are becoming cheaper. Except of course the really good stuff. I really can't explain this. Sometimes you can get something nice on ebay for under 20 dollars.

Josef Capek for Apollinaire's Kacir a spol.

Symposion, Praha, 1926. (19,5 x 14,6 cm).. 137 pp.. Book design, linocut title vignett, and 8 two-colour full-page linocuts by Josef Capek. Bound in red cloth alas the original cover is missing, sometimes you will finf the original frontcover bound in at the end of these clothbound books.
Original line cuts by one of my favorite czech artists. I especially like the 7th full page lino-cut.