A very large Chinese woodblock (355 x ca. 700 mm.), carved on both sides, bearing...
China: [late Qing].
In East Asian woodblock printing, the first step was choosing a piece of deciduous wood. A calligrapher would write out the text on a sheet of paper, which was then pasted ink-side down onto the block. Most of the paper was then rubbed off, leaving only a mirror image of the characters. The carver would then carve around inked parts of the wood to leave the area to be printed in relief. Carving was usually done along the grain. “After the carving is complete, the surface is cleared of any remaining wood refuse or paper... More