Chinese Art Books - 2003-2016

1.Ethereal Elegance: Porcelain vases of the Imperial Qing the Huaihaitang Collection, 2007/2008, 399 pages in Chinese and English, Hardback with slipcase

Ethereal Elegance: Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing – The Huaihaitang Collection
Edited by Peter Y. K. Lam | Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007
399 pages | Chinese & English | Hardback | ISBN 978-962-7101-84-0
This magnificent and scholarly catalogue documents 143 exceptional imperial Qing-dynasty porcelain vases from the renowned Huaihaitang Collection of Anthony K. W. Cheung. Published to accompany the major exhibition at the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2007–2008, it provides an authoritative survey of imperial porcelain produced at the Jingdezhen kilns. (Art Museum⁠)
The catalogue covers a remarkable range of forms and decorative traditions, including vases inspired by pre-Song and Song ceramics, Ming prototypes, and distinctive styles developed during the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. Monochrome, underglaze and polychrome wares are extensively illustrated, with detailed descriptions and scholarly essays. (Arts of Asia⁠)
A substantial and beautifully produced reference work for collectors, scholars and enthusiasts of Chinese ceramics, particularly valuable for its detailed colour illustrations and documentation of an important private collection.

2.Chinese Ivory Carvings: The Sir Victor Sassoon Collection, Scala, 2016, 336 pages in English, Hardback

Chinese Ivory Carvings: The Sir Victor Sassoon Collection
Rose Kerr, Phillip Allen & Shih Ching-Fei | Scala, 2016
336 pages | English | Hardback | ISBN 978-1-78551-085-4
This beautifully produced volume presents more than 350 important Chinese ivory carvings from the distinguished collection assembled by Sir Victor Sassoon (1881–1961), one of the great collectors of Asian art. The works range from religious figures and ritual objects to elaborate vases, scholar’s objects, sewing boxes, table screens and extraordinarily intricate “devil’s work” puzzle balls.
The collection spans a remarkably broad historical and cultural range, from the Shang dynasty through the Qing period and into the early twentieth century, illustrating both religious and secular aspects of Chinese life. Four scholarly introductory essays examine the history of Sassoon’s collecting and place the objects within their wider artistic and cultural context.

With extensive colour photography and detailed catalogue entries, this large-format hardback is an important reference for collectors and students of Chinese art, particularly the history, craftsmanship and collecting of Chinese ivory.

3.Royal Taste:The Art of Princely Courts in Fifteenth Century China, Scala, 2016, 224 pages in English, Hardback

Royal Taste: The Art of Princely Courts in Fifteenth-Century China
Edited by Fan Jeremy Zhang | Scala Arts Publishers, in association with The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
2015/2016 | 224 pages | English | Hardback | ISBN 978-1-85759-972-5

Royal Taste is a richly illustrated exhibition catalogue exploring the sophisticated artistic culture of the Ming dynasty princely courts, particularly those established in Hubei during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. It brings together more than 100 exceptional objects from five museums in Hubei, many rarely seen outside China, including porcelain and metalwork, jewellery, paintings, sculpture and archaeological discoveries from royal tombs. (Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd⁠)
The book provides fascinating insight into the luxury, religious life and cultural aspirations of China’s regional princes. Particularly notable are state-commissioned Daoist and Tibetan Buddhist sculptures from Mount Wudang, precious jewellery and recently excavated objects associated with princely tombs. Essays by seven leading scholars examine court patronage, religion, material culture and the role of princely courts in shaping Ming artistic traditions. (Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd⁠)
It is an excellent reference for collectors and enthusiasts of Chinese art and Ming decorative arts.

4.The Eternal Army: The Terracotta Soldiers of the First Emperor, 2005, Roberto Ciarla, White Star Publishers, 287 pages in English, Hardback

The Eternal Army: The Terracotta Soldiers of the First Emperor
Roberto Ciarla, with photographs by Araldo De Luca | White Star Publishers
First published: 2005 | 287 pages | English | Hardback | ISBN 978-88-544-0082-5
The Eternal Army is a lavishly illustrated introduction to one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of the modern era: the vast terracotta army created to protect Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, in the afterlife. More than 7,000 life-size warriors, together with horses, chariots and weapons, were buried near Xi’an over 2,200 years ago and remained concealed until their discovery in 1974.
Roberto Ciarla examines the emperor’s extraordinary ambition, the political and philosophical foundations of the Qin dynasty, the construction of the monumental funerary complex and the archaeological discoveries surrounding it. The volume is particularly attractive for its extensive photography by Araldo De Luca, capturing individual soldiers, officers, archers, cavalrymen and horses in remarkable detail.
The book combines archaeology, history and photography and remains an accessible and visually impressive reference for anyone interested in ancient China and the Qin dynasty.

5.China Revealed: The West Encounters the Celestial Empire, Gianni Guadalupi, White Star Publishers, 2003, 336 pages in English, Hardback

China Revealed: The West Encounters the Celestial Empire
Gianni Guadalupi | White Star Publishers, Vercelli
Published: 2003 | 336 pages | English | Hardback | ISBN 978-88-8095-229-9
China Revealed is a lavishly illustrated history of the fascinating and often complex relationship between China and the Western world, from antiquity to the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. Gianni Guadalupi traces the gradual Western discovery of the mysterious “Celestial Empire”, beginning with the ancient trade in silk and continuing through the journeys of Marco Polo and other travellers, the arrival of Franciscan missionaries, Portuguese merchants and Jesuit scholars, and the increasingly intense commercial and political encounters of the nineteenth century.
The narrative combines history, travel, exploration and cultural exchange, showing how Western perceptions of China evolved from fascination and romanticism to commercial competition, colonial ambitions and political confrontation. Maps, historical engravings, early photographs and colour reproductions of Chinese art give the book considerable visual appeal. At 36 × 26 cm, it is a substantial coffee-table volume, particularly attractive to readers interested in Chinese history, Western exploration and the development of cross-cultural relations.