This book looks at the last years of the 18th and early decades of the 19th century, discussing all categories of fine objects made for export, except porcelain, (which are covered in a separate volume).
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 8786103164
ISBN-13 : 978-8786103160
300pp. 207 color and 186 b/w illustrations. Numerous drawings, text in English with Chinese captions. Studies and illustrates works of art produced and treasured by the Chinese literati. Exhibited items include seals, inkstones, writing accessories, jade, ivory, wood, stone and rhinocero horn carvings.
Brilliant photographs of scholars' rocks, or Chinese ornamental stones, from a leading collection
Shaped by nature and selected by man, scholars' rocks, or gongshi, have been prized by Chinese intellectuals since the Tang dynasty, and are now sought after by Western collectors as well.
They are a natural subject for the photographer Jonathan Singer, most recently acclaimed for his images of those other remarkable hybrids of art and nature, Japanese bonsai.
Here Singer turns his lens on some 150 fine gongshi, ancient and modern, from the world-class collection of Kemin Hu, a recognized authority on this art form. In his photographs, Singer captures the spiritual qualities of these stones as never thought possible in two dimensions; he shows us that scholars' rocks truly are, in Hu's words, "condensations of the vital essence and energy of heaven and earth."
Hu contributes an introductory essay on the history and aesthetics of scholars' rocks, explaining the traditional terms of stone appreciation, such as shou (thin), zhou (wrinkled), lou (channels), and tou (holes). She also provides a narrative caption for each stone, describing its history and characteristics.
""Spirit Stones: The Ancient Art of the Scholar’s Rock" is an example of the kind of coherence and excellence that derives from an absolutely prepossessing interaction. The synergies here are unrivaled as is the final product...
This book is consummately evocative and it bespeaks a unique strength that arises from a singular synergy. Jonathan Singer's photography, Kemin Hu's passion, and Thomas Elias' erudition combine in ways that not only strengthen one another but illuminate one another."
—Michael Collins-MacIntyre, BCI Bonsai and Stone Appreciation MagazinePraise for Jonathan M. Singer:
"One of the world's most gifted photographers" —Milton Esterow, Publisher, ARTnews
"One of the most brilliant nature photographers of our generation" —David Seideman, Editor-in-Chief, Audubon magazine
Thomas S. Elias, Ph.D., is chairman of the Viewing Stone Association of North America and a former director of the U.S. National Arboretum. He is the author or editor of seven books including Chrysanthemum Stones, The Story of Stone Flowers.
Kemin Hu, one of the foremost experts on scholars’ stones, has authored several books on the subject, including Modern Chinese Scholars’ Rocks, Scholars’ Rocks in Ancient China: The Suyuan Stone Catalogue, and The Spirit of Gongshi.
Title: Chinese Furniture: A Series of Examples From Collections in France
Publisher: London: Benn Brothers, 1922
Publication Date: 1922
Binding: Hardcover
by:
232pages. Numerous color illustrations and a fold-out plate. A superb and sumptuous production. This exhibition was held from June 26th to September 5, 1999. Author: Dr. Kuang-nan Huang, Pauline Kao, Curtis Evarts, Tian Jiaqing, Lina Lin, Zhu Chengru
The phenomenon of antique hardwood furniture streaming into Hong Kong during the late 80s and early 90s will long be cherished as the Golden Years for collecting Chinese furniture. Reduced from a trickle to intermittent drops, the source at the turn of the millennium is all but dry. Still, many treasures gathered away in private hands have yet to be seen, and with each unveiling, knowledge is increased and perspectives broadened. Such is the Liang Yi Collection, which expands into the board, untrammeled sphere beyond that narrowly associated with plain, undecorated Ming-style furnishings. Since ancient times, Chinese artisans have drawn upon a rich palette of decorative traditions with stylistic characteristics ranging from the vigorous to the delicate, and from the severe to the ornate. It is variegated splendor that marks the Liang Yi Collection, which being primarily fashioned from two distinguished and noble hardwoods - zitan and huanghuali - also reflects unity and constraint.
This volume is a richly illustrated and well-documented catalogue featuring a private Hong Kong collection. The one hundred twenty-two catalogued objects include Ming and Qing period huanghuali and zitan furniture, as well an interesting variety of hardwood scholars objects. Three introductory essays by the author include:
- Zitan: Noble Hardwood of Abtruse Origins
- The Zhouzhi Tradition and Inlaid Hardwood Furnishings of the Late Ming and Qing Dynasties
- Elegant Empty Containers: Hardwood Brushpots