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

Editor: This is "Plum Blossoms" from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual, created by Hu Zhengyan. I’m struck by its delicate lines, especially given that it's a woodblock print. What can you tell me about the manual's production? Curator: The Ten Bamboo Studio Manual was a revolutionary contribution to color printing technology. Its influence spread because it made art accessible through mass production, impacting consumption. Editor: So, its value isn't just aesthetic but also lies in its process? Curator: Precisely. The manual blurred lines between art object and commodity. The materiality of the ink, paper, and carved blocks speaks volumes. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It's interesting to see art democratized through production.