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Picture-Based Quiz: Print Culture and the Modern World

Question 1: What does Fig. 1 depict in the context of the pre-print era in India?

Fig. 1 shows a royal workshop in the sixteenth century where the text is being dictated, written, and illustrated by hand, highlighting the importance of manual art before printing machines.

Question 2: Identify the ancient printed book shown in Fig. 2a.

Fig. 2a is a page from the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, the oldest Japanese book printed in AD 868, containing text and woodcut illustrations.

Question 3: What is the significance of the woodblocks shown in Fig. 2b?

Fig. 2b depicts the Tripitaka Koreana, a Korean collection of Buddhist scriptures engraved on about 80,000 woodblocks, inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2007.

Question 4: Who created the ukiyo print shown in Fig. 3?

Fig. 3 is an ukiyo print by Kitagawa Utamaro, known for depicting ordinary human experiences in urban settings.

Question 5: Describe the scene illustrated in Fig. 4a.

Fig. 4a shows a morning scene by Shunman Kubo from the late eighteenth century, where a man looks out at snowfall while women prepare tea and perform domestic duties.

Question 6: What historical printing artifact is featured in Fig. 4b?

Fig. 4b shows the Jikji, one of the world’s oldest books printed with movable metal type from Korea in the late 14th century, inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2001.

Question 7: Who is the historical figure portrayed in Fig. 5?

Fig. 5 is a portrait of Johann Gutenberg from 1584, the inventor of the printing press in Europe.

Question 8: What invention is illustrated in Fig. 6?

Fig. 6 depicts the Gutenberg Printing Press, showing the screw mechanism, platen, and handle used to press paper onto inked metal types.

Question 9: What unique features are visible in the pages shown in Fig. 7?

Fig. 7 shows pages from Gutenberg’s Bible, with printed black text, hand-illuminated borders, and colors added manually to highlight holy words, making each copy unique.

Question 10: What activities are depicted in the workshop scene of Fig. 8?

Fig. 8 illustrates a sixteenth-century printer’s workshop, showing compositors at work, galleys being prepared, ink application, printers operating the press, and proofreaders reviewing sheets.