The Picture Story of Chen Shan and Wu Niang of Sung Dynasty China

This is a Chinese concertina (leporello binding) book with wooden covers/boards which are covered in lightly patterned brown fabric with title? on a paper strip on the front cover in Chinese. The story is written and illustrated in 20 'pages', 10 of which are hand-painted on silk panels with silk patterned borders. The text pages are in Chinese and English.

To give a flavour of the story, which is essentially a love story, this is the first page of text:

' In the time of sung Dynasty a native from Chauan-Chow, Fu-Kien, named Chen Shan accompanied his borther to Kawan-Nan to be inaugurated official of that district. On their way they stayed for a day in Chao-Chaow bein gthe day of the romantic Lantern Festival. Crowds were attracted to the market by the display of lanterns. It was here that Chen Shan met Wu Niang for the first time and the fell in love . . . '