Imperial Chinese Art Seven Centuries of Peking's Ancient Glory

Omega Books Limited, United Kingdom, 1983 Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. English text.; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 21 x 27.5 cm; 1 Kg; 227 pages with 119 illustrations, 52 in colour; Used with minor signs of wear on the dust jacket. Interior as new.; Peking, the famous ancient capital of China, is without doubt one of the most fascinating places on earth. Imperial grandeur has here harnessed the finely attuned Chinese sense for colour and form. Over the course of a thousand years a city has grown up in which breath-taking vistas alternate with delicate corners of intimacy and elegance. Here temples of the great religions of Asia - Confucionism, Buddhism, Taoism - intermingle with the palaces, pagodas and pavillions of imperial pleasure and fantasy. Peking is indeed a unique city, and through this book the reader will gain a broad view of the history, art and architecture of one of the oldest existing centres of civilisation. With the aid of a wealth of illustrations, Lin Yutang conveys, in an intimate and personal matter, the sense of historical achievement which Peking represents. He also acquaints us with the people of Peking and takes us through the various periods which contributed towards making this city what it is today. Here one may find the key to Peking's fascination, a charm which is as elusive as it is inescapable. Imperial Chinese Art is illustrated not only with fine views of buildings, people and landscapes, but also with many reproductions of rare art objects, paintings, sculptures, porcelain, jade and lacquer. These are arranged in chronological order, starting with an eight-century painting and bringing the story up the eighteenth century. Lin Yutang's text is supplemented by an essay on Chinese art, with particular reference to Peking, and a discussion of the reproductions included in the book, by Peter C, Swann, former Keeper of the Department of Eastern Art in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford..