Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Carved type for Book from the Sky
Xu Bing Chinese
Not on view
These pearwood blocks of movable type—here set within a gridded frame—are among the hundreds hand-carved by Xu to print the various scrolls and books for one of his most compelling works: Book from the Sky. The typeface, based on Ming dynasty (1368–1644) interpretations of a Song dynasty (960–1279) printing style (songti), is made up of squared lines with angular accents that make the carving of the characters more efficient. However, in spite of their authentic appearance, all of these characters are Xu’s inventions and they have no meaning.
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