Week 27



The Danish Department stores all back issues of Danish trade journals from their original appearance, and an illustrated advertisement in Dansk Bogbinder-Tidende (The Danish Bookbinder's Times) 1903 indicates clearly the then current efforts to enliven the end-papers used between the binding and the book. These figured patterns turn up in numerous publisher's bindings from 1903 and onwards. No. 202 with its seagull motif was most appropriately used in that same year for Zacharias Nielsen's novel The Seagull!
University Library Department.

Week 28



Hans Lillienskjold: Speculum boreale, i.e. a description of Finmarken in Northern Norway, dated 1701. Lillienskjold was the "prefect" of Finmarken, and based his description on his own observations as well as his access to the county archives. The manuscript is generously provided with coloured pictures: here the the illustration to the section On Whaling and Salmon Streams. Dedicated to Frederik IV, but ended up in Thott's possession, as did several other manuscripts from the archives or the king's private library.
The Manuscript Department, Thott 948, folio.

Week 29



A page of H.C.Andersen's diary from 1831 with entries for June 3-4, during which he visited Dredsen and its surroundings. The drawing is from a visit to "plaunscher Grund", and he writes about the scene: "A little stream twisted and turned with the road between the steep mountainsides. The bridge and the mill placed there looked delightful." H.C.Andersen was an intimate friend of the Collin family and the diary was, together with a large number of other Andersen memorabilia, incorporated into the Manuscript Collection in 1905 as part of The Collin Collection of Manuscripts and Letters.
The Manuscript Department, Collin 30, kvarto. All H.C. Andersen's diaries can be found online.

Week 30



The twelve symbols of the imperial power. From an illustrated edition of the Chinese classic "Shujing" (The book of history) in 10 volumes . Published in block prints in 1580.
The Oriental Collection, OA 102-1977-57, kvarto.

Week 31



An illustration in a Nepalese manuscript of what is known as the kundalini, which the Indians view as the powerful energy center in human beings located at the base of the backbone. To activate the Kundalini is only possible through the most advanced techniques of yoga, but when this happens, violent powers are liberated, rising through the psychic energy centers located on a line from the point of origian to the top of the head. This drawing measures 184 x 23 cm.
The Oriental Collection, Nepal 92.

Week 32



From the first volume of H. Rink's bi-lingual edition of Greenlandic folktales as told by natives and with woodcuts also done by a native Greenlander. This first volume published in Godthåb in 1859 was followed by three more, 1860-63. The artist was the Greenlander Aron from Kangek.
University Library Department, 59 - 36, oktavo.

Week 33



Great numbers of American books - literary works, non-fiction and many accounts of American social and cultural conditions - have been translated into Danish over the years. The book illustrator Ib Spang Olsen's conception of the romantic Old South ornaments the cover of a translation of Mark Twain published in 1979, accompanied by a famous poem by Johs. V. Jensen from 1906.
University Library Department.

Week 34



Puppet theater scenes from a rare collection of five of the puppet theater plays known as jooruri, with woodcuts and text summaries printed in Japan, presumably in the 1700s. Here are scenes from the popular play "Kokusen'ya kassen" from 1716. the hero, Watonai, who has a Japanese mother and a Chinese father, travels to China to defeat the Tatar king and his Chinese general Kanki. The high point of the drama is the dilemma that Kanki's wife is placed in when she realizes that Watonai is her Japanese brother. The dilemma is resolved by her suicide (lower left corner).
The Oriental Collection, OA 93-158, oktavo.

Week 35



Among three entertaining books which only have been preserved in a few copies: Title-page of the story of Tristan and Isolde, printed in Worms c. 1550.
The Manuscript Department, Rare Book Collections, kvarto (Pegg nr. 3649).


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