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How to Read Chinese Ceramics

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Read Chinese Ceramics explores the rich history and artistry of Chinese ceramics through 40 masterworks from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's renowned collection. Spanning ancient earthenware to 20th-century porcelain, the book reveals the meaning behind their exquisite decorations, including symbolic scenes, flowers, and depictions of Buddhist and historical Chinese figures. Written by expert Denise Patry Leidy, it offers clear interpretations accessible to all readers.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for fans of arts and culture, collectors of Chinese art, students of ceramics and anyone interested in understanding the symbolism and history behind Chinese decorative arts.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Chinese ceramics are among the most significant and widely collected decorative arts produced anywhere in the world, with a history that spans millennia. Despite the saturation of Chinese ceramics in global culture—in English, the word "china" has become synonymous with "porcelain"—the function of these works and the meaning of their often richly decorated surfaces are not always readily apparent.

This new installment in the successful How to Read series enlightens readers on Chinese ceramics of all kinds, using highlights from the outstanding collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as a teaching tool. Accessible to a general audience and written by an expert on the subject, this book explains and interprets 40 masterworks of Chinese ceramics.

The works represent a broad range of subject matter and type, from ancient earthenware to 20th-century porcelain, and from plates and bowls to vases and sculptural figures. Lavish illustrations showcase these stunning works and the decorations that adorn them, including symbolic scenes, flowers, and Buddhist and Chinese historical figures.

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press.

Series: The Metropolitan Museum of Art - How to Read

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    The latest volume in The Met's How to Read series, focusing on the rich and varied textiles of Africa through forty exemplars from the nineteenth century to the present day. Across the African continent, handwoven cloth and clothing have historically been labour-intensive creations deeply embedded in local and regional value systems. These fabrics could be endlessly adapted to communal and...
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  • How to Read European Decorative Arts
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  • How to Read Chinese Ceramics
    Chinese ceramics are among the most significant and widely collected decorative arts produced anywhere in the world, with a history that spans millennia. Despite the saturation of Chinese ceramics in global culture—in English, the word "china" has become synonymous with "porcelain"—the function of these works and the meaning of their often richly decorated surfaces are not always readily apparent. This...
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  • How to Read Greek Vases
    This handsomely illustrated volume is the second in a series of publications aimed at giving a broad audience deeper insight into the extensive collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Museum is famed for its Greek vases. Joan R. Mertens, Curator in the Department of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan, has chosen thirty-five notable examples. They reveal...
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  • How to Read Islamic Carpets
    Carpets made in the "Rug Belt"—an area that includes Morocco, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and northern India—have been a source of fascination and collecting since the 13th century. This engaging and accessible book explores the history, design techniques, materials, craftsmanship, and socioeconomic contexts of these works, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of these frequently misunderstood pieces....
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Apollo praises this book as "accessible to a general audience and written by an expert on the subject," calling it an "engaging and visually stunning primer" that illuminates the function, decoration and interpretation of Chinese ceramics.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781588395719

Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 September 2015

Country: United States

Imprint: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Illustration: 180 color illus.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 203.0mm

Height: 267.0mm

Weight: 680g

Pages: 144

About the Author

Denise Patry Leidy is curator in the Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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