Search Results: Titles starting with F from Orchid Press

Bangkok: The National Identity Board, 1983. The Thai kloang, one of the oldest forms of Thai poetry, relies not only on its structure (fixed number of syllables per line; fixed number of lines - 4 - per stanza) but also on the cadences of the tonal Thai language. This renders the form impossible to completely capture its subtleties in a non-tonal language such as English. The author nevertheless introduces both traditional Thai kloangs and his own poetry in this form to the English reader, while accepting and skillfully explaining the compromises necessary when translating between two languages so separated by linguistics and culture. A poetic tour-de-force. Foxing on endpapers; rear cover creased, internally clean and bright. 183 pp. . First Edition. Softbound. Very Good. 23 x 17 cm..

Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press, 1997. This book focuses on Burma's best-known and most-often visited cities: Pagan, Mandalay, and Rangoon. It analyses the role each city played at critical periods in Burma's history from ancient times up to World War II. Pagan and Mandalay were both associated with the rise and fall of two of Burma's great empires founded by the Pagan and Konbaung dynasties. Even though centuries separate them, there are surprising similarities between the two royal capitals. In contrast, everything about Rangoon, from its physical layout to the amenities which it offered, were vastly different. Although established by a Konbaung king, Rangoon was completely rebuilt by the British who made it their colonial capital. Topics of interest include the physical plan of each city, important landmarks such as palaces, temples, and pagodas, and everyday city life. This book goes beyond the standard guidebook and should be of interest to urban historians as well as… Read More

New York: Christie's, 2001. 148 lots Chinese works of art including porcelains, jades, sculpture, scholars' objects and some textiles, 63 Japanese works of art, primarily paintings, and 35 lots of books from the collector's asian art reference library - total 246 lots fully illustrated in colour. Valuable reference.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good. 27 x 21 cm..

Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Museum, 2009. The Imperial ceramics of the early Ming period have attracted world-wide attention; they remain among the rarest, most expensive and sought-after of all Chinese porcelain. Until recently, however, the products of the late Ming period have largely been neglected. The Ming dynasty through the reigns of Jiajing and Wanli, was in serious decline; nevertheless, demand for fine porcelain, both from the court and wealthy private patrons, remained extremely strong. Further, the artistic abilities of the potters of Jingdezhen were mature and capable of producing exquisite works both in blue and white and a multitude of colours. The present catalogue of a major exhibition of the genre demonstrates the recent surge in interest among serious collectors in the porcelains of these relatively neglected periods. With scholarly essays on 'Imperial Porcelain and Information Media', 'Enamel Decorated Imperial Wares of the Late Ming' and 'Ming Imperial… Read More

Xian: China Shanxi Tourist Publishing House , 1990. Famen Temple, a short distance west of Xian, has been a site for Buddhist worship since the Han Dynasty, and houses sacred relics including the finger bone of the historical Buddha. Under Imperial patronage for many years, it reached its pinnacle of fame and glory in the late Tang period. A crypt under a central pagoda in the temple complex was excavated in 1987, and a remarkable trove of Tang treasures were recovered, including gold and gilt silver reliquaries, tea vessels, adornments and images as well as rare ceramic vessels, Islamic glass, marble, silk, etc. - in all some 2000 artifacts. The present volume reviews the history and architecture of the site, and describes and illustrates in full colour the most important of the objects recovered from the crypt. Trilingual English/Chinese/Japanese. 223 pp., detailed site plans, full colour images throughout. First Edition. Softbound. Very Good. 30 x 22 cm..

Bangkok: The Siam Society, 1965. Total of 37 academic papers on various aspects of Southeast Asian art, archaeology, literature, culture, religion, presented by a gathering of international luminaries in various disciplines of Asian studies. Vol. I: occasional pencil underlining, spine chipped & worn; 18 papers (15 in English, 2 French, 1 German); xi, p. 1-184, 19 b&w plates; Vol. II: spine worn, 19 papers ( 12 in English, 7 French) xiii, p. 184-349, 59 b&w plates. Overall condition of the two volumes good.. First Edition. Softbound. Good. 24 x 18 cm..

Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe, 1984. Fengxian Temple, dating to the Tang Dynasty, is part of the complex of Buddhist stone grottoes at Longmen, and includes the largest scale Buddhist image of the complex, together with images of attending bodhisattvas, arhats and guardians, all of a comparable scale. The present pamphlet provides multiple views and detail images of this grotto, perhaps the most monumental and impressive in all China. Wrappers creased with small nicks and 2 cm. of rear corner missing, inside wrappers foxed. Interior pages all clean and unmarked. Short introductory essay and all captions in English and Chinese. Staple bound; 36 pp., 3 col. and 35 b&w plates. First Edition. Softbound. Very Good. 26 x 18 cm..

Bangkok: TMC, 1996. This vivid chronicle of an upcountry district in the heart of Siam is told through the rise of Ruen, an aspiring timber trader who leads the small community of Khlong Suan Mark in its fight against nature and against man at the turn of the last century (1890-1909). Epidemics, fires, floods, famine and banditry forge a common will to survive and prosper despite all odds. Children are born and die. Families flee and return. Under the lure of money, simple men break their word, until they know better. Freedom and friendship are the guiding principles in Ruen's fighting world. He marries Sutjai, beds her best friend Jampa, and worships Lamiat, the wife of his worst enemy. This epic social fresco and ode to human endeavour and wilfulness, written in lush, swift prose, will take you through a wide sweep of emotions. First published in Thai, 1954. Printing limited to 3,200 copies. 384 pp. A new/unread copy.. First English Edition. Hard bound. Fine/Fine. 20 x 13 cm..

London: Sotheby's, 2000. 151 lots, 178 pp., fully illustrated throughout in colour. An exceptional offering of Chinese ceramics, sculpture, cloisonne, jade, and particularly ancient bronze ritual vesslas; also includes two remarkable large examples of Vietnamese ceramics. With prices realized report. Important reference.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine. 27 x 21 cm..

New York: Sotheby's, 1994. 780 lots; a massive catalogue fully illustrated in colour. Includes a fine selection of porcelains from Yuan to Qing, as well as early and later bronzes, jades, textiles, furniture, cloisonne and more. Sale concludes with a group of 165 fine snuff bottles. Prices realized report tipped in. Extensive and valuable reference. *** PLEASE NOTE - this item is heavy and may require additional postage. ***. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good. 27 x 21 cm..

New York: Christie's, 1993. 275 lots, 200 pp. Fully illustrated in colour; includes scholar's objects, rhinoceros horn carvings, snuff bottles , textiles, furniture, early ceramics, bronzes, Ming & Qing porcelains. Prices realzed report included. Valuable reference.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good. 25 x 20 cm..

London: Christie's, 1999. 194 lots, 86 pp., fully illustrated in colour. An essential reference on the genre.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine. 27 x 21 cm..

New York: Sotheby's, 1992. 678 lots, fully illustrated throughout in colour. A fine selection of Chinese ceramics, jade sculpture, glass vessels and snuff bottles, textiles, bronze vessels and Buddhist sculpture, and a large group of classical Chinese furniture. With prices realized report. Important reference.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine. 27 x 21 cm..

New York: Sotheby's, 1996. 246 lots, fully illustrated in colour, prices realized report included. Valuable reference on the genre.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine. 27 x 21 cm..

New York: Sotheby's, 1995. 220 lots snuff bottles and 322 lots, ceramics and works of art in this unusual combined catalogue. Fully illustrated in colour with prices realized report tipped in. Excellent reference for both snuff bottles and other Chinee works of art.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good. 27 x 21 cm..

Hong Kong: Leisure & Cultural Services Dept., Hong Kong, 2004. A fascinating survey of food vessels and utensils employed in ancient and dynastic China over the past 10,000 years, beginning with neolithic claywares and stone implements, through to the refined food vessels used in the Qing court. Materials used in the manufacture of the implements described range from eathenware to fine porcelain, lacquer, bronze, silver, gold, glass and jade. All descriptions in bilingual English and Chinese. 124 pp., 151 colour and 3 b&w illustrations. First Edition. Soft Cover. As New. 29 x 22 cm.

Macau: Macau Art Museum, 2011. Catalogue in three volumes of a magnificent selection of Imperial porcelain from the Qing Dynasty, on loan from the Palace Museum, Beijing. The catalogue examines the genre from the aspects of craftsmanship, form, pattern and glaze; an exceptional feature of this publication are the large, brilliant colour photographs of the objects, some of which are extreme close-ups of the surfaces, providing an almost tactile, three-dimensional experience of the objects being examined. One of the most beautifully produced volumes on Qing ceramics in many years and an essential resource for the collector, curator and student of Qing ceramics. Captions, introductory essays and text in trilingual English, Portuguese & Chinese in first two volumes; text in Chinese with some English abstracts in third volume. Printing limited to 1,000 sets only. Vol. 1: HB, 135 pp., over 195 col. plates incl. one three page fold-out; Vol. 2: HB, 156 pp., over 245 col. plates; Supplementary Vol. 3: SB,… Read More

New York: Eagle Art Publishing, 2006. The publication of this book represents that rare event when an important, beautiful art is first introduced. Although most of the other arts of Japan may be well known, Japanese achievements in post-1945 ceramic sculpture are virtually unknown outside of the country. This groundbreaking, lavish volume has been written in a style directed toward enhancing aesthetic appreciation by a close, non-academic analysis of the exciting works illustrated. The authors, a major collector and a leading dealer, discuss, in plain English, with no 'artspeak' jargon, specifically what they believe is artistically meritorious in each piece. To better understand Japan's modern and contemporary ceramic artists, a survey of the history of Japanese ceramic art is included, which offers a glimpse of its wealth of formal invention, exuberance and sheer decorative pleasures. The ceramics in this publication promise to be a revelation to the general art-loving public, Asian… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2012. The corrupt and despotic rule of Antonio Floresco, longtime dictator of the Carolines, seems finally to be unraveling. The economy is in shambles, the people have been reduced to desperate poverty, a communist insurgency is rapidly making gains in the countryside. Even the Church has turned its back on the regime. Meanwhile, scheming members of the aristocracy, as well as Floresco's most trusted cabinet ministers and sinister forces from abroad, actively plot the downfall of this brilliant and still charismatic, if deeply flawed, leader. His only remaining allies seem to be his Oxford-educated daughter, Conchita, and his wife, the First Lady. History, though, has demonstrated that if there is one creature more venal, ambitious and self-serving than a despotic ruler it is likely to be the despot's consort. And the First Lady of the Carolines is no exception to the rule. In the midst of this explosive mixture, Conchita has fallen in love with the wealthy nephew of… Read More

Bangkok: White Lotus, 1999. An ethnographic account of the social and economic transformation of coastal villages in Phangnga Bay, Southern Thailand. The Andaman Sea region of Southern Thailand has been involved in the rapid transformation of the regional economy for over a decade and the repercussions of this transformation are very visible in the coastal villages of Phangnga Bay. Part of this transformation has meant that fishing is no longer the sole source of income for village households, but that a host of other activities compete with fishing and provide better opportunities for individuals who are prepared to engage in new activities. The changes in the source and patterns of livelihood that are taking place in Phangnga Bay villages are a graphic, at times almost grotesque, illustration of the social process throughout the Southern Thai coast. [Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 8]. 310 pp., 8 pp. color illus., 2 maps. New/unread copy with covers a little tanned as is common with this… Read More