Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)

Denise Patry Leidy

Donna K. Strahan

The Metropolitan Museum's collection of Chinese Buddhist and Daoist sculpture is the largest in the Western world. In this volume, archaeological discoveries and scientific testing and analysis serve as the basis for a reassessment of 120 works ranging in date from the 4th to the 19th century.

Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wisdom Embodied

American Museum of Natural History

Mark Norell

Laura Ross

Spanning the Eurasian continent and thousands of years, the Silk Road was an incredible network of trade routes, but wares were far from the only goods exchanged on its expanses. People from many lands travelled the passages of the Silk Road and with them they brought their religion, culture, art, music, cuisine, technology and way of life. Silk from China was brought to Rome, glass from Baghdad found its way to Mongolia. Buddhism spread from India outward, the Koran travelled thousands of miles. And with each stop, a new variation was made on the object or idea that found itself in a new place. Travelling the Silk Road follows this transition and transmission of wares and culture from Xi'an, China, to Turfan, China, on to Samarkand in Uzbekistan, then Baghdad in Iraq and finally to Istanbul, Turkey and the sea routes around the continent. This truly epic journey is illustrated with amazing artwork, texts and artefacts found in archaeological sites all along the road.

Ancient Pathway to the Modern World

Traveling the Silk Road

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.

How to Read Chinese Ceramics

Soyoung Lee

"The Silla Kingdom, which flourished in Korea from 57 B.C. to 935 A.D., is known for its intricately crafted ornaments, many in resplendent gold, and for the creation of prominent Buddhist temples. Silla focuses on the striking artistic traditions of the Old and Unified Silla Kingdoms (4th-8th century), and is the first publication in English to explore the artistic and cultural legacy of this ancient realm. Among the topics explored are Korea's position as the eastern culmination of the Silk Road in the first millennium A.D. and the character and evolution of Buddhism, as illuminated by objects from major monuments, temples, and tombs. The book also presents new research about Silla's ancient capital, Gyeongju, which is known for the Gyerim-ro Dagger, as well as the pottery, glass, and beads discovered in tombs located there."--Publisher's description.

Denise Patry Leidy

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