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Art and Culture
798: Inside China's Art Zone
By Wenya Huang and Kaixuan Cui. Paperback. 260pp
Relatively little-known outside China until very recently, every travel guide on China now mentions 798 as a major cultural destination. 798 has also captured the attention of the international art world. As this book shows, 798 is the result of a unique cultural paradox: as China embraces more and more individual artistic freedom, this is combined with China’s long, collectivist history of “doing work together.” For the artists who have exhibited at 798, their association has become a badge of legitimacy within the art world and often a passport to worldwide acclaim (i.e. Song Dong’s recent installation at The Museum of Modern Art, New York). This book offers a revealing first-look behind the artistic and cultural phenomenon that is at the vanguard of contemporary Chinese art.
Shanghai Style: Art and Design Between the Wars
By Lynn Pan. Paperback. 312pp. ISBN-13: 9781592650781. Color and B/W illustrations and photographs.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, no place was more modern than Shanghai: a veritable playground amid a sea of Asian and European influences; an urban population clamoring for all that was new and Western, but whose aesthetic sensibilities remained profoundly Chinese. In this rich social and cultural history of Shanghai’s art and culture, Lynn Pan guides the reader through the myriad world inhabited by commercial and underground artists and designers, performers, architects, decorators, patrons, as well as politicians, generals, and crime bosses. What emerges is a singular portrait of a city and its art—its life blood, in an era that continues to capture the imagination of art lovers and cultural critics today.
Picturing the Chinese: Early Western Photographs and Postcards of China
By Grace Lau. Paperback. 180pp
Picturing the Chinese tells the story of Western photography in China from the mid-19th century to the present. Events such as the Opium War and the Boxer Rebellion provided some of the first images of China by photographers such as John Thompson and Felice Beato; depicting military engagements, documentary and landscape photographs, studio portraits, picture postcards, and panoramas of Beijing, to Chinese nobility, courtesans, and convicts. Grace Lau positions this new technology of vision upon cultural themes such as exoticism, chinoiserie, and the view of China as a mysterious, perilous land. Picturing the Chinese offers a rich interplay of text and image that will engage anyone interested in the history of China and the visual arts. Grace Lau is a London-born photographer, artist, and lecturer. Her work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, and Photofusion.
Chinese Export Porcelain: East to West
By Shirley Ganse. Paperback. 180pp.
Color and B/W illustrations & photos.
Chinese export porcelain evokes images of rare treasures gracing the stately rooms and tables of the West, but what of the artisans who created them? In this book, Shirley Ganse situates Chinese export porcelain amid the intersection of art and commerce on a global scale, while at the same time telling the remarkable human story of the craftspeople who helped shape China’s artistic traditions. What emerges is a vibrant portrait of global art and a must-have book for lovers of Chinese art Shirley Ganse is an art historian, curator, and lecturer in Chinese art. She has been teaching Chinese art seminars with the Smithsonian Institution since 1981.
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Tea and Chinese Culture
By Ling Wang. Paperback. 183pp.
An essential guide to the history, philosophy, and cultural evolution of Chinese tea. From its earliest uses as a medicinal herb to the highest refinement of tea as art and ritual, this full-color book provides a fascinating overview of the myriad forms and varieties of tea culture through the centuries. A must for all students and admirers of Chinese history, culture, and cuisine.
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ARTS OF CHINA SERIES
Chinese Jade
By Minghua Zhang. Hardcover. 78pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
Jade is one of the most profoundly beautiful masterworks in all of Chinese art. It exudes opulence, delicacy, and resilience. Jade is in many ways symbolic of the power, longevity, and subtlety of Chinese civilization. This richly illustrated volume is an ideal introduction to the world of jade; it explores the history and variety of China’s greatest jade masterpieces which have fascinated artists and admirers for thousands of years. Included are sections on geology, appraisal of jade, artistic styles and aesthetic appreciation.
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Chinese Porcelain
By Kelun Chen. Hardcover. 86pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
Masterworks of porcelain art represent the pinnacle of the Chinese artistic tradition. These are some of the most exquisite and delicate works of art ever created, and the subject of intense admiration for generations of art lovers, collectors, and scholars. From purely functional vessels to decorative and ceremonial pieces from the collection of the Chinese emperors, porcelain defines the true essence of Chinese art.
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Chinese Seals
By Weizu Sun. Hardcover. 80pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
From the imperial decree to the simplest business transaction, the seal has long shown the way for the cultural, economic, and societal progression in Chinese culture for thousands of years. Seals in all their myriad forms and functions have fascinated generations of admirers of Chinese art.
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Old Advertisements and Popular Culture
By Chaonan Chen and Yiyou Feng. Hardcover. 85pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
The nostalgic era of the 1920s and 1930s is reflected in all its glory in this collection of posters, advertisements, and display signs from the bygone days a newly-emerging urban China. Increasingly influenced by a cosmopolitan Western sensibility yet unmistakably Chinese in nature, these lavish color posters and clever advertising and marketing slogans harkens back to a glamorous era in Chinese history and culture.
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The Four Treasures: Inside the Scholar's Studio
By Wei Zhang. Hardcover. 84pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
The Four Treasures: writing brush, ink stone, ink well, and paper represent the essential, indispensable components to the Chinese scholar’s studio. For generations these tools of the upper class have defined and shaped some of China’s greatest literary and philosophical voices. This book explores the many varieties and expressions of the Four Treasures as seen through the centuries.
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Chinese Festivals
By Lusheng Pan and Jialu Tang. Hardcover. 78pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
For generations, New Year paintings have depicted the hopes and wishes for a prosperous new year while reflecting the longevity and tradition of Chinese culture through the centuries. This volume looks at the changing way New Year paintings have come to represent one of the most important Chinese cultural festivals. A myriad cast of characters is revealed in this unique guidebook.
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Yixing Pottery: the World of Chinese Tea Culture
By Chunfang Pan. Hardcover. 77pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
Artists who possess a mastery of the Yixing-style of pottery have demonstrated an uncanny eye for detail and the ability to give an inanimate, purely functional object a certain organic, lifelike quality. Yixing ware elevates something as simple as a teapot or cup into a work of art accessible to all collectors. Its history is rich and vigorous, offering something for just about everyone interested in pottery, tea, or Chinese culture.
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Chinese Coins
By Liuliang Yu and Hong Yu. Hardcover. 62pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
This volume is a fascinating introduction to the world of Chinese coins, which for centuries have intrigued collectors and scholars worldwide. This full-color book looks at some of the many varieties of coins used throughout the Chinese empire and in the modern era, and provides valuable insight into the history of Chinese society, economy, and culture.
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Chinese Clothing
By Shaorong Yang. Hardcover. 78pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
The art of Chinese clothing and its rich history of textile development have fascinated the world for centuries. From purely functional yet ingenious work clothes to the most elaborate and intricately-detailed ceremonial robes, this full color book showcases the grandeur and aesthetic appeal of Chinese clothing from prehistory to the present day.
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Chinese Fans
By Gonglin Qian. Hardcover. 80pp.
Color and B/W Illustrations.
Functional yet decorative, fans have become synonymous with Chinese culture and represent some of its more diverse works of art. Used by both rich and poor, fans can be found at all levels of Chinese society. This book examines the different varieties of fans, including their shapes, textures, and magnificent history.
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