In the great tradition of publications on Chinese art from the Metropolitan Museum, China: Dawn of a Golden Age will become an essential text for years to come. This book is the catalogue for a major exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (October 5, 2004 to January 23, 2005).

Beyond Representation surveys Chinese painting and calligraphy from the eighth to the fourteenth century, a period during which Chinese society and artistic expression underwent profound changes. A fourteenth-century Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368) literati landscape painting presents a world that is totally different from that portrayed in the monumental landscape images of the early Sung dynasty (960 - 1279). To chronicle and explain the evolution from formal representation to self-expression is the purpose of this book. Wen C. Fong, one of the world's most eminent scholars of Chinese art, takes the reader through this evolution, drawing on the outstanding collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Focusing on 118 works, each illustrated in full color, the book significantly augments the standard canon of images used to describe the period, enhancing our sense of the richness and complexity of artistic expression during this six-hundred-year era.

In this fascinating and detailed profile, Benn paints a vivid picture of life in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), traditionally regarded as the golden age of China. 40 line illustrations.

For almost three hundred years the noble T'ang Dynasty fostered a period of artistic and intellectual endeavor which has never been equaled in the history of China. Sculpture, ceramics, glass, and textiles were some of the major artifacts that emerged from this glorious renaissance of Chinese taste and skill. This book is the story of the T'ang told through objects in the author's collection, one of the most representative in private hands. It includes a marvelous array of gold and silver mirrors, jade, jewelry and gilt bronzes. The 124 illustrations, 24 in full color are accompanied by a history of the T'ang era, and a chapter on each of the categories in the collection gives a comprehensive background to the illustrations. The knowledgeable comments of a well-known collector are authoritative, and will be invaluable to other collectors, was well as to all connosseurs of Chinese art.

Describes the Chinese Bronze Age, including the development of the Chinese state, writing, religion and architecture.

“The Art of Modern China is a long-awaited, much-needed survey. The authors’ combined experience in this field is exceptional. In addition to presenting key arguments for students and arts professionals, Andrews and Shen enliven modern Chinese art for all readers. The Art of Modern China gives just treatment to an expanded field of overlooked artworks that confront the challenges of modernization.”—De-nin Deanna Lee, author of The Night Banquet: A Chinese Scroll through Time.