A movable type is a system and technology of printing and typography that employs movable components to simulate individual characters or punctuation marks, usually on paper.
As described by the Chinese scholar Shen Kuo (1031–1095), Bi Sheng (990–1051) also pioneered the use of wooden movable types around 1040 AD. Due to the presence of wood grains and unevenness of the wooden type after being soaked in ink, this technique was abandoned in favor of clay movable types.
Wang Zhen, a representative of the Yuan dynasty, of Jingde County, Anhui Province, China, developed a method for creating movable wooden types in 1298. In addition to making more than 30,000 wooden movable types, he printed 100 copies of Records of Jingde County, The following year, he published A method of making moveable wooden types for printing books.
There are several books printed in Tangut script during the Western Xia (1038-1227) period. One of them is the Auspicious Tantra of All-Reaching Union, which was discovered in 1991 in the ruins of Baisigou Square Pagoda and probably was printed during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Western Xia (1139-1193).
The oldest printing technique in the world, wooden movable-type printing, is still maintained in Rui'an County, a village in Zhejiang Province, where it is used to compile and print clan genealogies. Traditionally, Chinese characters are drawn and engraved by men, who then set them into a type-page and print them. To do this, they must be familiar with ancient Chinese grammar and possess a great deal of historical knowledge.
Papercutting and binding are then handled by women until the printed genealogies are completed. After the type-page has been disassembled, the movable characters may be used again and again. The craftspeople of local communities carry sets of wooden characters and printing equipment to ancestral halls throughout the year. In the clan genealogy center, the genealogy is compiled and printed by hand. A ceremony marks the completion of the genealogy, and the printers place it in a locked box for future generations.
By rote and word of mouth, the techniques of wooden movable-type printing are passed down through families. However, the extensive training required, the low income generated, the development of computer printing technology, and the diminishing interest in assembling genealogies have all contributed to a rapid decrease in the number of craftspeople. As of today, there are only eleven people older than 50 who have mastered the entire set of techniques. Without preservation, this ancient practice will soon disappear.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/wooden-movable-type-printing-of-china-00322) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movable_type#China) |Subject=Craftsmanship and Practices, Verbal Arts and Literature |Country=China |SDG=(04) Quality Education, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}