Xylography is the relief engraving technique by which all the white space is removed from the wooden plate. The
original surface left behind is inked and transferred to paper when pressed, much like a modern stamp.
Examples of this type of printing are found in China dating back to the first century, and became common to
Europe in the later part of the 14th century.
Xylographic books produced in Holland and Germany in the early 15th century were made by each page being printed
off a single matrice of carved wood. Unlike later wood engraving where the carving is done into the end grain for xylography
the design is carved on to the grain surface of a block of wood often pear, box, or beechwood.
This block would be inked and pressed to form a page. Each matrice
could contain pictures and short sentences. These where the forerunners of the moveable type books such as the Gutenburg Bible
produced in the later half of the 15th century.
The rise in popularity of xylography is likely in part due to paper becoming a more available material, with Germany's
first paper mill opening in Nuremberg in the 1390's. The smooth surface of paper was much more suitable to printmaking than
parchment, which could be slightly rough and uneven.
Nuremberg Chronicle, which showed the earth from creation, up to the 15th century was published in1493 and
contained over 600 prints reproduced throughout the book. Another famous xylograghic booklet was "Bibla Pauperum" which is
literally translated as "Bible of the Poor", contains short quotes form the Holy Scripture with richly decorated pages.
