An Album not only represents a traditional binding approach in ancient China, but also refers to a special format of ancient Chinese paintings. It was common practice for ancient Chinese painters to bind small-size paintings into Albums, which were easy to shelve and carry outside the home. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, calligraphy and painting albums evolved into a spiritual pursuit for the literati - well-educated officials who occupied a high position in society. These social elites took pleasure in the visual delight of leafing through an album, image by image.