The First Print Era

The Rise of Print Culture in China's Northern Song Dynasty

By: Daniel Fried

Write A Review

Paperback | 6 May 2025 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
156 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.6 x 0.84

Paperback

$164.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $41.19 with

Ships in 15 to 25 business days

The First Print Era examines the rise of print culture during China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Bringing together often-overlooked primary sources from the period and scholarship on many individual topics in Song print history, the book offers the first extended narrative in English of how print became entrenched as a sustained mode of textual dissemination in China. While discussing technical innovations and the growth of the print industry, the book focuses on how the rise of print affected several indispensable elements of Song intellectual culture: the expansion of the exam system, the canonization of Tang and earlier models, the rise of antiquarianism and connoisseurship, the birth of Neo-Confucianism as a new intellectual force, the growth of a new literati culture and new forms of literary production and critique, and the development of calligraphy as an art form that could be taught, critiqued, and divided into schools. Overall, the book describes a process by which print publication moved from a highly centralized state enterprise, back to expanded elite use, and eventually towards the popular print markets that would create new forms of expression during the Southern Song and Yuan dynasties.

This book will be an essential read for students and scholars of Asian studies, Medieval studies, and those with a focus on print history and Chinese studies.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.