~~ Book 1880070309d ~~

La Culture du Riz Illustrated
by Tien Shih Chai Photo-Lithographic Works, Shanghai

 
Condition. The book is in Fair condition. The front and back covers are faded. The string ties are broken and the front cover and spine covering are detached and present. The first page of the first illustration has a 9 cm tear which extends from the outside edge up into the image. The first 3 folded pages have a stained area. One illustration has an area outside the image where a 1 cm wide by 4 cm long section of paper is missing. Occasional water staining in the margins outside the images. The paper is supple, basically clean and not aged. The front and back covers are faded. There is no French/English language title page but no evidence one was present.

 
Tien Shih Chai Photo-Lithographic Works, Shanghai:
La Culture du Riz Illustrated, Shanghai, Tien Shih Chai Photo-Lithographic Works, undated but ca 1880, French and English text with descriptions on illustrations in Chinese, large 8vo (6 1/2 x 10 3/4 in - 16.6 x 27.1 cm), bound Chinese style with paper in folded sheets, string ties, cloth (probably silk) covers and spine covering, front cover illustrated, 40 pages (20 folded) including a blank double page at the front. The book reads European style from front to back. However, the last 6 pages (3 folded) are in Chinese and these read from back to front. There is no French/English title page. There is a Chinese title page. There are a total of 23 photo-lithographic illustrations, each spanning adjoining pages to make a complete image. Each image has an accompanying text page in French and English describing the significance of the image in the Chinese "Rice Culture." On each illustration there is a section in Chinese characters which presumably describe the image.

The Tien-Shih-chai Photo-lithographic Works was a pioneer in China in introducing the photo-lithographic process to book illustration in China. The earliest book I have found produced by the company is dated to 1879. Very few publications by the company are found by internet searches of book sites, library or general searches. The few that are found, and they are not this book, are all dated to 1879. Apparently this company was at the forefront in China in shifting book illustrations from the handmade woodblock prints to photo-mechanical reproductions.

Contents/23 Illustrations:

1. La semence du Riz.
2. Labourage.
3. Hersage. No. 1.
4. La Sarclage.
5. Hersage. No. 2.
6. Le semance.
7. La premiere ponsse.
8. Le Fumage.
9. Transplantation No. 1.
10. Transplantation No. 2.
11. Le Sarclage.
12. Deuxieme Sarclage.
13. Troisieme Sarclage.
14. Irrigation.
15. La moisson.
16. La mise en meules.
17. La Battage.
18. Enlevement de la premiere ecorce du Riz.
19. Criblage.
20. Le Vannage.
21. Enlevement de la deruiere ecorce du Riz.
22. Enmagasinage.
23. Remerciements a l'Eternel.

Chinese Title Page and Text at Rear
(Reads back to front):

Preface at front:

Contents Page at front:

Examples of Text and the Double Page Illustrations.
(Reads from front to back)

1. La semence du Riz.
Text

Illustration.

2. Labourage.
Text

Illustration.

9. Transplantation No. 1.

12. Deuxieme Sarclage.

16. La mise en meules.

18. Enlevement de la premiere ecorce du Riz.

23. Remerciements a l'Eternel.