AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

Taiwan is a country located in East Asia, lying on the northwest side of the Pacific Ocean and off the southeastern coast of China. Its geographic position has historically made it a crucial crossroads for trade and cultural exchange among China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The period of Japanese rule in Taiwan (1895–1945) stands out as an era of profound multicultural interaction and significant transformation. This period was marked by modernization and infrastructural development initiated by the Japanese government. Combined with the flourishing of Taiwanese art and literature in multiple languages, the island’s book publishing industry underwent a transformative evolution. This project employs both documentation of binding formats and historical research methodologies to explore the evolution of bookbinding. We have documented various bookbinding formats, including their structures, materials, and conditions, to analyze how they transformed over time and the historical reasons and impacts of these changes.

Before this era, books in Taiwan were predominantly printed and bound outside the island. The Japanese period marked a significant shift, heralding the beginning of local book publishing, printing, and binding industries. By the 1920s, there was a greater emphasis on Japanese language and culture led by the government. Influenced by movements outside the island, Chinese-language books became a means for intellectuals to express self-identity and spread new ideologies. The development of libraries also reflects the transformation. The first library established during the Japanese period was the Taiwan Library (1898). As the demand for books and Taiwan’s relation to the world changed, one of the most notable aspects of this period is the transition in binding formats. Over the fifty years of Japanese rule, there was a marked shift from predominantly East Asian side-stitched bindings to a variety of Western European bookbinding styles. It is interesting to observe the shift also in Western styles from a small amount of leather or cloth bindings to mostly modern case bindings. In the later years of this period, it was also common to see a mixture of Western materials with side-stitched bindings. This is one of the first detailed studies on this subject, yet the transformation connects with broader changes in Taiwanese society during this time.

Bookbinding formats reflect the economy and cultural movements of the period, showcasing a piece of history that is often overlooked. To gain a comprehensive understanding of bookbinding practices, the project involves documenting hundreds of books from the period of Japanese rule, collected from the National Taiwan University Library, Tainan National University of the Arts Library, and the National Taiwan Library. We recorded information on binding structures and materials, and are analyzing this data in conjunction with historical records to understand the frequency of different bindings and their relationship to social changes of the time. Additionally, we are compiling condition reports on the books to understand common deterioration, which will provide valuable insights for future conservators and enhance our understanding of bookbinding formats from this important historical period.