Ming Clay Movable Type

Timeline

1. 1421–1424Suzhou · JiangsuBookshops in Suzhou and Hangzhou continued using clay movable type to print poetry collections and genealogies, carving characters in clay then firing them hard, suited to books with limited print runs and varying editions.
2. 1425–1428Hangzhou · ZhejiangIn the early Ming woodblock printing still dominated; clay movable type was mostly used for supplementing blocks, trial printings or short-run printing of rare classics, the two techniques coexisting in the same bookshop.
3. 1429–1430Jiangnan, China · East ChinaMing scholars and artisans preserved clay movable type techniques through oral transmission and practice, retaining the technical foundation and operational experience for the later development of wood and copper movable type.