Bible Endpapers

Below is a small section of an Endpaper from a Pocket Bible. The last page tells us it was printed by D&H Brothers Industries CO. LTD. The pattern is a foliage design, printed in two shades of yellow. 

 The Bible itself measures 8 x 11 centimeters, so the fineness of the pattern can be imagined 

Book Cover-- Guandi Mingshen zhenjing 關帝明聖真經

 Below is the cover of the Guandi Mingshen zhenjing 關帝明聖真經-- Lord Guan's true scripture. This book was found in 2018 in Singapore. There, it is a custom for religious books to be freely distributed to the Public. To that end, shelves are placed in public areas, for such books to be placed. The book below is one such example. 

The book is bound in the Traditional Chinese manner, with thread, and the delightful wrapping-paper cover glued to the spine to form a wrapper. The book's creator has written the title 關帝明聖真經--Lord Guan's true scripture in a neat hand. In a smaller hand, to the botton left of the book is written 贈送品--  For Free distribution. 

The book is attributed to Lord Guan. 關羽 Guan Yu , The celebrated Chinese general. He is depicted to the right in a frontispiece. These illustrations were probably taken from a printed book. 

The first page of the text

Now we come to the most astonishing feature of the book. The text of the book is a photocopy of a Manuscript. By contrast, most books distributed in such a manner are typeset, and printed by large printing-houses. The production of this book must certainty be a small, cottage operation, reflecting the devotion of its creator. 

The second and third text pages of the text

The faint black frame around the texts comes from the Chinese Foolscap paper, that the scribe used to write this book on. The consistency of the scribe's handwriting must be praised. 

In addition to the photocopied portions, one of the book's owners has added a section in manuscript, written in Blue ballpoint pen. These manuscript sections are presented above. They are short religious invocations

The author will, in a future post, upload scans of the entire book, in hope that its creator's singular act of devotion will be perpetuated, as well as to provide material for students of the Chinese Folk religion.

In the meanwhile, if any reader may provide a more precise description of the book's contents, the author will be most delight to receive it.

以上的文章是介紹一本手抄的《關帝明聖真經》。這本書是在新加坡發現到，如果有讀者有有關這本書的知識或資料，請通知筆者。 謝謝。

Book cover: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

These covers belong to an edition of the celebrated Chinese Novel Romance of the Three kingdoms. They were collected in Singapore in 2018, but were published in Hong Kong sometime in the past century.

A previous owner has written the numbers of the volumes on the set. The one on the right has 二 Volume 2 (near the prow of the boat), and the one on the left has 四, Volume 4 ( Near the arm of the reclining figure).  In traditional Chinese bookbinding, it is not uncommon for an longer work (like this)  to be split up into smaller volumes of "Fascicles"

The two covers are done in a charming style that is seldom encountered today. Both covers bear the same three lines of Chinese text: 

繡像仿宋完整版

三國志演義

香港五桂堂書局印行

(Illustrated, Imitation Song complete edition)

THE ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS:

Published by Wu Gui Tang bookshop, Hong Kong. 

This requires some explaining. The word translated as "illustrated" is 繡像 xiùxiàng literally meaning "Embroidered". Chinese novels often had illustrations of the characters. These illustrations were rendered in line-work, and hence figuratively referred to as 'embroidery'. These illustrations comprise part of the book's "Front matter" , and would be found in volume 1 of the set.   As I possess only volumes 2 and 4, I cannot show you the illustrations (if they existed)

The "imitation Song" probably refers to a family of Chinese typefaces, in which the book is set. 

This image (and the next) are the first two pages of the fourth volume of the set. The text shown is the first part of the 91st chapter of the novel. Like many Traditional Chinese books, the text here reads Right-to-left, in vertical columns. The title of the chapter, (1st line from right) and the first word of the chapter ( topmost character in the 2nd row from the Right) are set in larger type than the rest of the novel

The text is densely set. Unlike in modern texts, The only punctuation used are dots. 

Singaporean Blankbook.

The cover of an old ( 1980s -1990s) blankbook. This particular specimen was purchased an an ols shop in Singapore. The pattern reminds one of a certain type of tile.

"Stormont" marbled paper





This is a very early ( C. 1819) example of what is now known as a "Stormont" marbled paper. This pattern, unlike most marbled papers, is characterized by the addition of turpentine to one of the colours used. When this turpentine colour is sprinkled on the marbling bath, as the colour spreads, the drops separate into a fine lace-like network.

 

 

 

As you can see, in the above case, it was the black colour that had the turpentine in it. The size of the  holes in the turpentine'd colour can be varied , depending on how much turpentine is put in it. Later versions tend to have finer holes than this.

 

 

The edges of the book are also done in the same pattern. Sadly, they have faded badly .

 

 

 

 



Nonpareil marble 2, 1849

This example of a nonpareil marble appears as the siding papers of a copy of Hugh miller's Footprints of the creator: or, the Asterolepis of Stromness. This particular example is executed in black, red, blue, and a dull ash blue.

The surprisingly dull colours of this marble may have to do with it's content. The book is an example of creationist literature, and due to it's religious aspect, a more sombre marbled paper would be appropriate. To quote Charles Woolnough, in his Whole art of marbling:

 

"For instance, a brown nonpareil, and a black and brown combined, have been largely patronized by works of divinity"

 

Woolnough then goes on to add that red nonpareils* were used for military works, and green nonpareils for floral works.

 

* Perhaps he means nonpareils done in only red and white ?

 



Marbled paper- double comb

The following endpaper is found on a book published in 1866, by Routledge. It is of a pattern that is known as the "double comb".

 

As you can see, this pattern is a variation of the nonpareil pattern http://decoratedpaper.blogspot.sg/2013/08/marbled-paper-1-nonpareil.html . The difference, however, is that an extra step is required in this pattern. In a nonpareil, the colours are manipulated by with a comb-like device. However, in this pattern, an extra comb, with teeth of different width, is then used, resulting in the effect you see here.

Annonay paper 3

Below are two further examples of "Annonay paper". These scraps were from the workshop of an old bookbinder, who used them as siding papers for ledgers. If my memory serves me correctly, he had this paper printed by an Australian company.

As you can see, the paper is printed. Note the very edge of the above sample, where the distinction between the black & blue plates can be made out.

The binder also had an example of the same paper, but with red replacing the blue. Although I have seen ledgers bound in the blue paper, but I have yet to see one bound in this red paper.

Annonay paper 2

This is the cover of another notebook, bound in the "papier d'annonay", from Singapore. Note how it appears that the printer has swapped the colours of the paper, so instead of a yellow background with black spots, we have a black background with yellow spots

 

 

Fake marbled endpaper-- "moire"

 

This pattern forms the endpapers of a deluxe edition of the Harvard classics, printed in 1965. It is quite frankly an imitation of Moire marbled paper, being printed as opposed to being marbled. This example is more elaborate than most, as it is printed in three colours, and has an additional smattering of gold veins 

 

"Annonay paper"/ Papier d' Annonay

Papier d' Annonay is a name that is given to a particular type of decorated paper. It is named after a town in France, which is famed for it's paper manufacture*. These papers were a popular and decent substitute for the more expensive marbled papers for bookbindings & other uses. Indeed, so popular are these papers, that they are still used today. However, unlike the originals, which were made by speckling paper with paint, these examples tend to be printed. These papers are, to this day, oft used in notebooks and ledgers.

* it also happens to be the place where the Montgolfier brothers were from

The cover of a pocketbook , purchased in Singapore in 2012.

Another similar [ albeit badly worn] example, also from the same location

 

Marbled paper 1-- Nonpareil

This particular variety of marbled paper is known as the "nonpareil" pattern. Here is a particularly fine example from the 1850s. This forms the endpapers of a book published in 1851