CBSE 2025 · Region 5 · Set 1 · Q34 · 4 marks

Read the given source and answer the questions that follow : Pages of Gutenberg's Bible, the first printed book in Europe. Gutenberg printed about $\displaystyle 180$ copies, of which no more than $\displaystyle 50$ have survived. Look at these pages of Gutenberg's Bible carefully. They were not just products of new technology. The text was printed in the new Gutenberg press with metal type, but the borders were carefully designed, painted and illuminated by hand by artists. No two copies were the same. Every page of each copy was different. Even when two copies look similar, a careful comparison will reveal differences. Elites everywhere preferred this lack of uniformity: what they possessed then could be claimed as unique, for no one else owned a copy that was exactly the same. In the text you will notice the use of colour within the letters in various places. This had two functions : it added colour to the page, and highlighted all the holy words to emphasise their significance. But the colour on every page of the text was added by hand. Gutenberg printed the text in black, leaving spaces where the colour could be filled in later. ($\displaystyle 34.1$) Mention the contribution of Gutenberg in the field of printing. ($\displaystyle 34.2$) How were the books borders painted and illuminated ? ($\displaystyle 34.3$) Describe any two benefits of colouring in the letters.

CBSE Class 10 Social Science past-paper question from the 2025board exam, with the answer as CBSE’s own marking scheme gives it. Where our answers come from.