Overview

This book is the first in a major three-volume series that will survey China's immense wealth of art, architecture, and artifacts from prehistoric times to the twentieth century. The Arts of China to A.D. 900 investigates the beginnings of the traditions on which much of the art rests, moving from Neolithic and Bronze Age China to the era of the Tang Dynasty around A.D. 900. William Watson discusses in lively detail a wide range of art forms and techniques: porcelain and pottery, lacquer, religious and secular painting and sculpture, mural painting, monumental sculpture and architecture. He explains the materials and techniques of bronze casting, jade carving, pottery manufacture, and other arts, and he describes the most important sites, the artifacts that were produced at each one, and the historical interactions between different areas. He discusses the iconography, the technique and the function of every art form. Written by one of the most distinguished scholars in the field of Chinese art and archaeology, this lavishly illustrated book will be a valuable resource for both experts and beginners in the field.

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9780300082845

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Reviews

William Watson's sumptuous new book presents a comprehensive account of the arts of China to the end of the Tang dynasty. The book combines fine scholarship with reproductions of the latest archaeological finds, images of objects in Western museums, and good maps and diagrams...This is a richly illustrated and thoughtful history that will reward the reader new to Chinese art as well as the more seasoned devotee. Candace J. Lewis, New Asia Review The reader will find nearly four hundred of the objects and monuments that narrate the history of Chinese art, and one will also learn more about Chinese ceramics and metalwork than is available in most comparable surveys. Moreover, one will learn all of this through beautifully written prose. Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, China Review International This is a rich book...Keen readers should not neglect the footnotes, which often contain useful information and interesting analysis. The glossary and bibliography are set in both western and Chinese scripts, which makes life much easier for students. Wang Tao, Art Newspaper Winner of a Choice 1996 Outstanding Academic Book Award

"""William Watson's sumptuous new book presents a comprehensive account of the arts of China to the end of the Tang dynasty. The book combines fine scholarship with reproductions of the latest archaeological finds, images of objects in Western museums, and good maps and diagrams...This is a richly illustrated and thoughtful history that will reward the reader new to Chinese art as well as the more seasoned devotee."" Candace J. Lewis, New Asia Review ""The reader will find nearly four hundred of the objects and monuments that narrate the history of Chinese art, and one will also learn more about Chinese ceramics and metalwork than is available in most comparable surveys. Moreover, one will learn all of this through beautifully written prose."" Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, China Review International ""This is a rich book...Keen readers should not neglect the footnotes, which often contain useful information and interesting analysis. The glossary and bibliography are set in both western and Chinese scripts, which makes life much easier for students."" Wang Tao, Art Newspaper Winner of a Choice 1996 Outstanding Academic Book Award"

Author Information

William Watson is emeritus professor of Chinese art and archaeology at the University of London. Yale University Press Pelican History of Art series Also available, Watson: The Arts of China 900-1700, vol. II (ISBN 0 300 07393 3, #50.00*/$75.00*).

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