Masterworks of Chinese Art


Book Description

Highlights 27 works from the thousands in the museum's collection.







Masterworks of Ming and Qing Painting from the Forbidden City


Book Description

Catalogue of the the first exhibition in the United States of important Chinese paintings from the Palace Museum, Beijing. It consists of 76 paintings of which 55 are hanging scrolls, 16 are handscrolls, and 5 are albums; 33 paintings belong to the Ming dynasty and 43 of the Qing dynasty. Each painting is described in detail by Howard Rogers, with an essay by Sherman E. Lee and a foreword by Richard Barnhart.




Words and Images


Book Description

In May of 1985, an international symposium was held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in honor of John M. Crawford, Jr., whose gifts of Chinese calligraphy and painting have constituted a significant addition to the Museum's holdings. Over a three-day period, senior scholars from China, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, and the United States expressed a wide range of perspectives on an issue central to the history of Chinese visual aesthetics: the relationships between poetry, calligraphy, and painting. The practice of integrating the three art forms-known as san-chiieh, or the three perfections-in one work of art emerged during the Sung and Yuan dynasties largely in the context of literati culture, and it has stimulated lively critical discussion ever since. This publication contains twenty-three essays based on the papers presented at the Crawford symposium. Grouped by subject matter in a roughly chronological order, these essays reflect research on topics spanning two millennia of Chinese history. The result is an interdisciplinary exploration of the complex set of relationships between words and images by art historians, literary historians, and scholars of calligraphy. Their findings provide us with a new level of understanding of this rich and complicated subject and suggest further directions for the study of Chinese art history. The essays are accompanied by 255 illustrations, some of which reproduce works rarely published. Chinese characters have been provided throughout the text for artists names, terms, titles of works of art and literature, and important historical figures, as well as for excerpts of selected poetry and prose. A chronology, also containing Chinese characters, and an extensive index contribute to making this book illuminating and invaluable to both the specialist and the layman.




Possessing the Past


Book Description

A major scholarly work, published in conjunction with the exhibition titled "Splendors of Imperial China: Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei" (on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art during 1996, and scheduled for several other American cities during 1996-1997). Written by scholars of both Chinese and Western cultural backgrounds and conceived as a cultural history, the book synthesizes scholarship of the past three decades to present the historical and cultural significance of individual works of art and analyses of their aesthetic content, as well as reevaluation of the cultural dynamics of Chinese history. Includes some 600 illustrations, 436 in color. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Power and Virtue


Book Description

Catalog of the first exhibition to consider the remarkable endurance and symbolic resonance of the horse in Chinese art, history, and philosophy. It features almost 30 works, including 13 sculptures from the Han-Tang dynasties, and hand scrolls, hanging scrolls, and album leaves from the Tang-Qing dynasties. By examining the tremendous range of equine depictions in Chinese art, it reveals the horse as an exceptionally fluid and potent means for the continual construction and reconstruction of Chinese identity, a figure of enduring fascination and value given its usefulness -- both real and symbolic -- to humankind.




Chen Style Taijiquan Collected Masterworks


Book Description

The first-ever English translation of the most important masterworks of Chen Style Taiji, as originally published by the renowned grandmaster Chen Zhaopi Chen Zhaopi (1893-1972) is universally recognized as a preeminant grandmaster of Chen Style taijiquan, an ancient martial art that is the foundation of all taijiquan schools. During his lifetime, Chen was lineage successor and teacher to Chen Village's current generation of senior masters, including Chen Xiaowang, Wang Xi'an, Chen Zhenglei, Zhu Tiancai, and the late Chen Qingzhou. This book is the first-ever English translation of key selections from his seminal 1935 publication, Chen Style Taijiquan Collected Masterworks. Gathered together are taijiquan's most important texts dating back to its earliest period of development. These include the writings of its putative creator, Chen Wangting, and its reorganizer, Chen Changxing, and the biographies of eminent family members such as Chen Zhongshen. Author and translator Mark Chen's commentary provides readers with the most complete picture of taijiquan's origins, evolution, and theory to date. Also included is a step-by-step, pictorial exposition of Chen taijiquan's "old frame" first form, demonstrated by Chen Zhaopi himself.




A History of Chinese Calligraphy


Book Description

Chinese calligraphy has been an independent visual art form for thousands of years. Its wonderful aesthetics has inspired the art of Chinese painting since the second century B.C. Before pen and pencil were introduced to China, millions practiced the art of writing in ink. In the twentieth century, the art of calligraphy has not only fascinated modern Chinese who are part of this continuous tradition, but has also captured the interest and imagination of the world. This is the first proper history of Chinese calligraphy in English.




Masterpieces of Chinese Lacquer from the Mike Healy Collection


Book Description

Presents a wide range of exceptional Chinese lacquerware representing a broad time span and multiple techniques. The lacquers range in date from the later Han dynasty (1st-2nd century CE) to the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The collection is also rich in uniquely Yuan dynasty lacquerware, which is noted for its austere and refined appearance.




How to Read Chinese Ceramics


Book Description

Among the most revered and beloved artworks in China are ceramics—sculptures and vessels that have been utilized to embellish tombs, homes, and studies, to drink tea and wine, and to convey social and cultural meanings such as good wishes and religious beliefs. Since the eighth century, Chinese ceramics, particularly porcelain, have played an influential role around the world as trade introduced their beauty and surpassing craft to countless artists in Europe, America, and elsewhere. Spanning five millennia, the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of Chinese ceramics represents a great diversity of materials, shapes, and subjects. The remarkable selections presented in this volume, which include both familiar examples and unusual ones, will acquaint readers with the prodigious accomplishments of Chinese ceramicists from Neolithic times to the modern era. As with previous books in the How to Read series, How to Read Chinese Ceramics elucidates the works to encourage deeper understanding and appreciation of the meaning of individual pieces and the culture in which they were created. From exquisite jars, bowls, bottles, and dishes to the elegantly sculpted Chan Patriarch Bodhidharma and the gorgeous Vase with Flowers of the Four Seasons, How to Read Chinese Ceramics is a captivating introduction to one of the greatest artistic traditions in Asian culture.