"To engrave ink painting on the wood and to print on the paper" describes Chinese traditional woodblock printing craft, which was originated from Chinese ancient lithographic printing craft and was the important contents of Chinese ancient civilization and traditional culture.
Since its establishment in 1900, Duo Yun Xuan, a historical shop for traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, has inherited woodblock printing craft. Undergoing more than a century of study, production and exploitation, Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing craft has developed into a comprehensive art recreation, containing painting, sculpture and printing techniques. In humid temperate climate of the watery town in Southern China, enlightened and influenced by Shanghai-school Culture, Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing craft pay utmost attention to China classical painting style, technique and charm, and therefore Duo Yun Xuan art works enjoy a superb quality and forms an exquisite, elegant, gentle characteristic style.
Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing art works reproduce the original works to the life so much that they offer the chances for people to study and appreciate masterpieces of various dynasties. Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing owns its distinguished artistic and cultural value for its irreplaceable effect in expressing and handing down masterpieces to generations. Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing art works not only pass down a traditional craft but an outstanding culture, one civilization.
Nowadays, woodblock printing craft plays an active role in ancient books restoration, rare books facsimiles reprinting, book publishing and even cultural exchanges with other countries as well. After a four-year-engraving, Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing art work of A Manual of Calligraphy and Painting from the Ten Bamboo Studio, by Hu Zhengyan, Ming Dynasty, won the National Award, the Art Exhibition top prize of the Leipzig Book Fair in 1989, and won honor for China’s book publishing. No matter the little poem or the ink painting of woodblock printing art works, one can appreciate both the artists’ exemplary techniques and woodblock craft itself. The woodblock printing works could satisfy different aesthetic requirements of today’s consumers. Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing craft has been recognized as one of the traditional arts and crafts of Shanghai in 2004, and been successively cataloged in Shanghai and National non-substance cultural heritage lists in 2007 and 2008.
As one of the National non-substance cultural heritages, woodblock printing craft demands pure hand-engraving. Many investors and collectors of fine arts weigh in favor of its potential function in maintaining and gaining value, especially the woodblock printing works of masterpieces.
Due to its pure hand-engraving requirement, woodblock printing demands a long production cycle and a high labor cost. Therefore, when selecting woodblock printing targets, Duo Yun Xuan sets a threshold of paintings and usually specifies the representatives of artists, which are of great art value. Judged from the current situation of fine arts auctions, generally those been reprinted by woodblock printing craft always sold for high hammer prices. Chrysanthemums in a Vase, by Pa-ta Shan-jen, was sold at Spring Auction of China Guardian Company in 2008 for RMB 31.36 million. Ink Plum Blossom, by Jin Nong, was knocked down for RMB 4.48 million at Beijing Council’s Spring Auction in 2009. Meanwhile, some masterpieces of Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing works have been the new favorites of the fine arts auction market. It is the impeccable art effect served at a popular price that make Duo Yun Xuan woodblock printing art works gradually become the best choice of artistic decoration for luxury hotels, fine office buildings and household life.
