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GUTENBERG, moveable-type printing beforeBiblio.com

A page from a book printed in 1422 with the Kyongja-Ja moveable bronze type.

1966réf. 192593Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop 1966. Moveable metal type three decades before the Gutenberg Bible Excellently preserved evidence of moveable-type printing in East Asia over 30 years before the Gutenberg Bible 1454-55. Pleasingly the specimen is a full page. Copies of McGovern's catalogue sometimes only have a half-page sample as his supply was limited. Experimentation with moveable type began in Asia in the 11th century. The oldest surviving book printed with this technology is the Baegun hwasang chorok buljo jisimcheyojeol 1377 also known as Jikji which was issued in Korea and is now known only through a single copy of Volume II held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. In the early 15th century the Korean royal family set up the Office of Typecasting to supervise the production of high-quality bronze type for general use and the Kyongja-Ja type used for this 1422 specimen was cast by decree of King Sejong the Great in 1420. Editions produced with moveable types in 15th-century Korea were small numbering only a few hundred copies and they were already highly prized in their day. McGovern became interested in these books while serving with the US Army in the country and Specimen Pages of Korean Movable Types - the first major work on the subject published in English - remains authoritative. Of the edition of 300 95 "primary copies" were numbered I-XCV this is number XIV and issued with original specimens. For the remaining 205 McGovern commissioned facsimiles of the earliest samples. This catalogue also contains a page printed with the Kabin-Ja type created in 1434 as an improvement on the small characters of Kyongja-Ja and a sample employing type cast in 1455 contemporary with Gutenberg's breakthrough in Mainz. 1422 specimen: 315 x 190 mm 11 columns of 21 characters. Catalogue: Folio. With 22 original printed leaves laid in. Duplicate example of specimen 7B loosely inserted. Original white quarter linen gilt lettering on red ground sides of yellow handmade paper bottom edge untrimmed. Housed in original blue cloth slipcase. 1422 specimen in excellent condition with just a little old marking and creasing predating the compilation of the catalogue. Bookplate of Elmer Belt 1893-1980 American urologist. Binding lightly rubbed and marked: a fine copy in very good slipcase some sunning and scuffing small repair at foot. hardcover

Peter Harrington · Royaume-Uni27 500,00 £GB≈ 32 727,17 €