Question 14 Marks
For centuries, silk and spices from China flowed into Europe through the silk route. In the eleventh century, Chinese paper reached Europe via the same route. Paper made possible the production of manuscripts, carefully written by scribes. Then, in 1295, Marco Polo, a great explorer, returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China.
China already had the technology of woodblock printing. Marco Polo brought this knowledge back with him. Now Italians began producing books with woodblocks, and soon the technology spread to other parts of Europe. Luxury editions were still handwritten on very expensive vellum, meant for aristocratic circles and rich monastic libraries which scoffed at printed books as cheap vulgarities. Merchants and students in the university towns bought the cheaper printed copies.
The production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books. Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business. Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle, and could not be carried around or read easily. Their circulation, therefore, remained limited. With the growing demand for books, woodblock printing gradually became more and more popular.
i. Despite the introduction of print-culture, why were luxurious edition still handwritten?
ii. Describe any two drawbacks of handwritten manuscripts in comparison to printed material.
iii. What was Marco Polo's contribution to print culture?
China already had the technology of woodblock printing. Marco Polo brought this knowledge back with him. Now Italians began producing books with woodblocks, and soon the technology spread to other parts of Europe. Luxury editions were still handwritten on very expensive vellum, meant for aristocratic circles and rich monastic libraries which scoffed at printed books as cheap vulgarities. Merchants and students in the university towns bought the cheaper printed copies.
The production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books. Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business. Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle, and could not be carried around or read easily. Their circulation, therefore, remained limited. With the growing demand for books, woodblock printing gradually became more and more popular.
i. Despite the introduction of print-culture, why were luxurious edition still handwritten?
ii. Describe any two drawbacks of handwritten manuscripts in comparison to printed material.
iii. What was Marco Polo's contribution to print culture?
Answer
View full question & answer→i. Luxury editions were handwritten on very expensive vellum, meant for aristocratic circles and rich monastic libraries which scoffed at printed books as cheap vulgarities.
ii. Two drawbacks of handwritten manuscripts in comparison to printed material were:
a. Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.
b. Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle, and could not be carried around or read easily.
iii. Marco Polo's contribution to print culture was as:
a. In 1295, Marco Polo returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China.
b. He brought the knowledge of woodblock printing with him.
ii. Two drawbacks of handwritten manuscripts in comparison to printed material were:
a. Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.
b. Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle, and could not be carried around or read easily.
iii. Marco Polo's contribution to print culture was as:
a. In 1295, Marco Polo returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China.
b. He brought the knowledge of woodblock printing with him.