Ex libris (Bookplates) in Hong Kong

In the past, people made ex libris (bookplates) because they cherished books with great affection and care. A bookplate is a personalized mark for a book, a form of art to be appreciated, and also a valuable collectable. The motifs and artistic styles of bookplates act like identity cards for books, telling by whom the books are collected; earning the reputation of “a gem on paper”. A book with a bookplate is like a precious child with a mother — it is a proof of being cosseted.

Nowadays, bookplates are treated more like stamps in philately (the study of stamps), often as objects of collection and exchange for collectors or bookplate owners. As the size of a bookplate is often smaller than a normal-sized print, it is relatively easier to make, and the cost of collecting bookplates is usually affordable. However, this unique art form, which is closely related to reading and the book collecting, still remains relatively unknown in Hong Kong.

The dimensions of traditional bookplate vary, depending on the size of books. In general, early illustrated bookplates containing text, the word “ex libris” or equivalent, and the name of the owner take the form of 3 x 5 inches. These small prints can be produced from woodcut printing, lithography, etching, silkscreen or color process printing. Apart from printed bookplates, there are also those made with hand-painted techniques, paper cutting, rubbing, photography, and computer generated design and others. Traditional bookplates would include coats of arms, portraits of the owners, their interests, hobbies, etc. They may also feature aphorisms and mottos that express insights on and appreciation of reading and book collecting.

Europeans spread the culture of bookplates to other parts of the world; but the extent of acceptance differs in these places. Until now, bookplate artists in Europe have been relatively more active. In Asia, bookplate culture is concentrated in Japan and the region of Greater China; but bookplates are yet to be popular in the region of Southeast Asia. This phenomenon reflects the difference in history and culture of different countries.

In Hong Kong, the 1930s was a period which saw renowned writers, such as Ye Lingfeng (葉靈鳳, 1905-1975), start to introduce and create bookplates of Chinese styles. Later, writers, including Tung Chiao (董橋b. 1942) and Wong Chun Tung (黃俊東, 20th century), and local artists, including Mui Chong Ki (梅創基b. 1940) and others, introduced bookplates in newspaper columns. Mui was the first artist in Hong Kong to organize an exhibition on the subject of prints and bookplates in a private art and design school. Mui states that Tong Ying Wai (唐英瑋, 20th century) and Chan Chung Kwong (陳仲綱, 20th century) are among the earliest local artists who made bookplates in Hong Kong. It was not until Yu Yuan Hong (余元康b.1956), a local collector and painter, working with other print-makers interested in bookplates, established the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association (HKEA) in 1989 that such delicate and fine literati objects were promoted in an organized fashion to the public.

Commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the HKEA, this is a special exhibition of international bookplates co-organized with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library. Featuring an ensemble of bookplates from Hong Kong and various countries, it reignites the culture of bookplates which had almost vanished in Hong Kong.

Most of the exhibits in this exhibition are printed bookplates. I hope that through using the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library (a treasure house of knowledge) as a platform, we can introduce the art and technical aspects of bookplates. In addition to helping the audience understand how to appreciate bookplates, this exhibition ultimately strives to contribute to the continuity and development of this disappearing art in Hong Kong.

Dr. Sarah Ng Sau Wah
Research Assistant Professor
Academy of Visual Arts
Hong Kong Baptist University

Officiating Guests

Mr. Yuen Hong YU, Founding Chair of the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association
Ms. Clara Mei Yee HUNG, Chair of the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association
Ms. Malou Oi Yee HUNG, Vice-Chair of the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association
Professor Roger Shu-Kwan CHENG, Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning, HKUST
Ms. Diana CHAN, University Librarian, HKUST

Ex libris is Latin referring to a bookplate affixing to a book for identifying its ownership. It is believed to date back to the 15th century in Europe when aristocrats produced one of the first ex libris in presenting books to monasteries as gifts. The use of ex libris in books was later spread to Japan and China when the Europeans landed on Asia.

The talk aims to introduce the history of this special art form and to demonstrate some common printmaking techniques. We hope to stimulate the interest of our students and staff in this literary culture through these presentations.

About the Presenters

Dr. Sarah Ng is the Research Assistant Professor of Academy of Visual Arts at HKBU. She is also an art historian specializes in late imperial Chinese painting, calligraphy and rubbings. She curates art exhibitions and conducts research projects on both ancient and contemporary Chinese art. She received her DPhil in Art History from the University of Oxford. She was a Chevening scholar and has a master’s degree in art conservation at University College London (UCL), and an MPhil in Art History at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Ms. Clara Hung was born in Hong Kong in 1958. Clara took a watercolor course at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1980 and debuted her works in 1984. She pursued further art study in New York in 1987. Her works are collected by museums including the Heilongjiang Provincial Museum of Art, China. Clara is now the Chair of the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association.

Born in Hong Kong in 1963, Ms. Malou Hung has many years of experience in etching. Her works have received many international awards and are collected by many museums around the globe. The most important ones include Gold Awards from the International Ex-Libris Association in 2009 in Shanghai and Japan Ex-Libris Association in 2010. She has exhibited in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, Mexico, Washington DC, etc. She has also been invited to participate in different ex libris competitions, placing her works among other masters from all over the world. She has published many ex libris albums, including a book on the techniques of etching (銅版畫技與藏書票藝術). She frequently holds demonstrations on etching in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Malou is now the Vice-Chair of the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association.

Workshop

Date:    April 24, 2019 (Wed)
Time:    3:00 – 5:00 pm
Venue:    Multi-function Room, LG4, Lee Shau Kee Library
Presenter:    Mr. Cheng Taiqo
Language:    Cantonese
Registration:    https://lbcube.ust.hk/ce/index.php/event/6144/ 

Students may attain 2-hour credit for the HLTH1010 Healthy Lifestyle Course after attending the workshop.

In the workshop, Mr. Cheng Taiqo will give a brief introduction about ex libris (bookplates), a non-mainstream art that is on the verge of extinction. He will explain the reasons for making bookplates, introduce the tools and materials needed, and demonstrate some common techniques used. Participants can create their own bookplates using linocut and chromatography.

About the Presenter

Mr. Cheng Taiqo was among the few Hong Kong ex libris enthusiasts who founded the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association in December 1989. Other founding members of the Association included Mr. Yu Yuen Hong, Ms. Clara Hung and Ms. Malou Hung. The Association aims to promote the art of ex libris in China and its influence has spread to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Mr. Cheng was the Chair of the Hong Kong Ex-Libris Association in 1993. Before he retired, he had worked in the art and design departments of Shaw Brothers Film Studio, TVB, and Golden Harvest. He is now a freelance art teacher.