Blue Bamboo -- Illustration from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shizhuzhai shuhua pu) before 1703

Curator: This is Blue Bamboo, an illustration from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting by Hu Zhengyan. Editor: It’s incredibly delicate; the pale blue wash gives it an ethereal, almost ghostly quality. Curator: The manual itself was innovative. Produced using a sophisticated form of color woodblock printing, it served as both an instructional guide and a display of refined taste. Think of it as a proto-mass produced art book. Editor: So, considering its function, the focus shifts from the artist’s individual expression to the accessibility of technique and the materials used in the printing process itself. Curator: Exactly. It democratizes art production and invites participation within specific cultural parameters. The social implications are fascinating. Editor: Indeed, one appreciates the manual’s role in circulating imagery and influencing aesthetics beyond its immediate context. Curator: It makes you reconsider the traditional hierarchy of art and craft, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely, thinking about how the manual was made definitely changes how I see the image.