Pied Oxen Printers

Type specimen printed on a Vandercook proof press in June 2016 as a keepsake for Parenthesis: The Journal of the Fine Press Book Association, Number 31. The types, designed by Edwin H. Denby (1873-1957) , are the only known surviving and previously unrecorded examples of these proprietary fonts. The 48 point Doric Oldstyle medium in this specimen and the 14 point Tuscan Oldstyle and Italic in the colophon were cast in the late 1930s. The 102 point Doric Oldstyle Initials in the specimen and the 432 point Denby Enorm Linocut capital on the title page are printed from photoengravings made in the same period. The paper is Somerset Book Wove, 175 grs. Mr. Denby's types and typographical ambitions will be the subject of an upcoming publication by Pied Oxen Printers, including specimens, a biographical appreciation by Matthew Young, and an essay on Mr. Denby's designs and innovations by David Sellers. One hundred twenty five copies of this keepsake, numbered 1-125, are for Parenthesis 31, and twenty six copies lettered A-Z are for the printer.

Printing and binding in the hand-scroll format, a comprehensive illustrated step-by-step guide based on Pied Oxen’s publication, "The Mountain Spirit" by Gary Snyder, illustrated by numerous detail photographs by David Ackerman.

Index photo by David Ackerman.

The sword as protective symbol in Tibetan Buddhism, including hand-printed impressions from four original monumental woodblock designs, with translations, and an essay by an authority on Tibetan Buddhist iconography.

The wind-horse in Tibetan Buddhist iconography, with hand-printed impressions from 50+ original woodblocks and an essay by an authority on Tibetan iconography.

Woodblock printing tattoos in the rainforest

Under construction. Over centuries the indigenous people living in the Amazonian region of Venezuela developed a distinctive and complex graphic design vocabulary. Carved into wood, these designs would have been inked with pigments and printed on the body for ceremonial occasions, and to create the spiritual conditions for achieving a desired effect, e.g., related to hunting or fishing or well-being. Individual blocks are carved in geometric and abstract patterns and symbols, the meanings of which may only be known by the maker. Some blocks are more representational, for example, depicting animals, while others may represent spirits and ancestors. Based on a comparison of over 250 blocks, although certain design elements reoccur, no two are the same. Pied Oxen Printers is in the process of producing a book that will include designs printed from the original blocks.