Can you read these Chinese characters for me?

August 8, 2019 6:54 AM

I have a three volume Chinese book published in the 1970s with this title. Can you tell me what it says? Thanks!
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon to Writing & Language (7 answers total)

The characters say Mustard Seed Painting. Hope that helps!
posted by muhonnin at 7:04 AM on August 8, 2019

Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden [...] is a printed manual of Chinese painting compiled during the early-Qing Dynasty. Many renowned later Chinese painters, like Qi Baishi, began their drawing lessons with the manual. It is an important early example of colour printing.
posted by applesurf at 7:16 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you muhonnin and applesurf! Metafilter comes through again.
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 7:23 AM on August 8, 2019

Response by poster: Since that went so well, I've added the rest of the information
Is there a publisher name there?
Thanks again!
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 7:30 AM on August 8, 2019

It's published by the Hong Kong division of the Zhonghua (or Chung Hwa) Book Company.
posted by Jeanne at 7:47 AM on August 8, 2019

If you have a smartphone, you can use the Google Translate app to translate texts from images just by photographing them, like this. It's really convenient.
posted by procrastinator at 7:49 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

Except when I use my Google Translate app on that image I get:

homogeneous sub. park painting upload.

??
posted by blurker at 8:01 AM on August 8, 2019 [4 favorites]