Bishou - Hissho

Dates of birth and death unknown. Inventor of movable type printing during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in China. His background is also unclear, but there is a description of Bi Sheng in Volume 18 of Dream Creek Essays, "Arts and Crafts," by the 11th-century scientist and politician Shen Kuo. According to the article, Bi Sheng was a civilian who invented movable type during the Keiryaku era (1041-1048). Each character was carved into glue and then fired to harden it, creating a single typeface. To print, a mixture of rosin, wax, and paper ash was first spread over an iron plate, and an iron frame was placed on top of it, with the type then set into the frame. Next, heat was applied to the mixture until the rosin and other materials melted, and the type was pressed down with a board to make it flat. After the type had cooled and set, it was applied with ink and paper was placed on top to print.

[Kazuhiko Miyajima]

"Chinese Printing: Its Invention and Western Spread, vols. 1 and 2, by T. F. Carter, revised by L. C. Gudrich, translated and annotated by Yabuuchi Kiyoshi and Ishibashi Masako (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)" " Dream Creek Pen-Paper-Scissors, vols. 1-3, by Shen Kuo, translated and annotated by Umehara Iku (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生没年不詳。中国、北宋(ほくそう)（960～1127）代の活字印刷法の発明者。その経歴も不明であるが、11世紀の科学者で政治家である沈括(ちんかつ／しんかつ)の著作『夢渓筆談』巻18「技芸」に畢昇についての記述がある。それによれば、畢昇は民間の人であり、慶暦年間（1041～1048）に活字を発明した。それは膠泥(こうでい)に文字を彫ってそれを火に入れて焼き固めたもので1文字1活字である。印刷は、まず鉄板の上に松脂(まつやに)・臘(ろう)と紙の灰を混ぜたものを一面に塗り、その上に鉄の枠を置いて、枠の中に活字を植字する。ついでこれに熱を加えて松脂などが溶けてきたら活字を板で押さえ平らに整える。冷却して活字が固定したら墨をつけ、上から紙を置いて印刷するものであった。

［宮島一彦］

『T・F・カーター著、L・C・グドリッチ改訂、藪内清・石橋正子訳注『中国の印刷術――その発明と西伝』1、2（平凡社・東洋文庫）』▽『沈括著、梅原郁訳注『夢渓筆談』1～3（平凡社・東洋文庫）』

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