Emperors' Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei

by Jay Xu, Li He

Overview

Emperors' Treasures features artworks from the renowned National Palace Museum, Taipei. It encompasses paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics, lacquer ware, jades, and textiles exemplifying the finest craftsmanship and imperial taste. The book explores the identities of eight Chinese rulers—seven emperors and one empress—who reigned from the early 12th through early 20th centuries. They are portrayed in a story line that highlights artworks of their eras, from the dignified Song to the coarse yet subtle Yuan, and from the brilliant Ming until the final, dazzling Qing period. Emperors' Treasures examines each ruler's distinct contribution to the arts and how each developed his or her aesthetic and connoisseurship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780939117734
Publisher:	Asian Art Museum
Publication date:	06/28/2016
Edition description:	1st Edition, Hardcover with Jacket
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 12.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Jay Xu is Executive Director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. He is the first Chinese American director at a major US art museum and first Asian American museum director elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Li He is associate curator of Chinese Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and a visiting research fellow at the Palace Museum, Beijing. She is the author of Chinese Ceramics: A New Comprehensive History from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

With contributions by Fung Ming-chu, Jay Xu, Ho Chuan-hsin, Alfreda Murck, Tianlong Jiao, Li He, and curators from the National Palace Museum and the Asian Art Museum

The Asian Art Museum—Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is a public institution whose mission is to lead a diverse global audience in discovering the unique material, aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture.

Editorial Reviews

"This thorough historical account of Chinese art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and researchers of art, art history, and Asian art, as well as anyone interested in these subjects." —Tina Chan, MIT Libs/ Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
Almost 180 artworks are shown in this exhibition catalog of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Coedited by Asian Art Museum of San Francisco staffers Xu (executive director) and Li (associate curator of Chinese Art), the title looks at objects including porcelain, paintings, calligraphy, and ceramics, as well as historical documents. Chapters written by contributors from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco describe the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In particular, they describe the significance and achievements of seven emperors and one empress from the 12th through 20th centuries, including their political and religious beliefs, while detailing the contributions they made to art. Color photographs with descriptions are plentiful throughout the volume. Also included are a time line of Chinese dynasties and a list of emperors with their reigning years. VERDICT This thorough historical account of Chinese art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and researchers of art, art history, and Asian art, as well as anyone interested in these subjects.—Tina Chan, MIT Libs.

Library Journal