Chinese Jade of Five Centuries was originally published in print form by Tuttle Publishing in 1969. In Chinese Jade of Five Centuries, Mrs Hartman provides an encompassing look at one of the minor arts which must be considered vital to a judgement of artistic achievements of any civilization. Magnificently illustrated with 45 black and white photographs and 10 color plates, the book displays many museum examples which have not been previously published for general readership. Written for the layman, the text should satisfy the more discerning and knowledgeable reader as well, particularly for it's information on the quality and location of jade rough, on dating, and techniques of carving.

"'Collecting Chinese Jade' informs the reader about aesthetic considerations and provides a methodology for collecting. Nearly sixty outstanding Chinese jade objects are described and illustrated in full color. Each object is reviewed in the context of the most recent archaeological information. Detailed notes to the text are provided so that the reader may explore further. By studying the stylistic and physical characteristics of these examples, the collector may apply this knowledge to his or her won quest for the best."--Cover

Confucius (551-479 BC) praised jade as 'the embodiment of virtue'. Excavations in China since the 1970s have shed much light on the use and production of jade in neolithic and early dynastic periods. Excavated jade artefacts dating from the seventh to seventeenth centuries are rare, so it is particularly valuable that a number of specimens have been unearthed from tombs and pagoda foundations during the past two decades, thus allowing heirloom jades to be compared with these excavated examples and correctly dated. This book is a timely reassessment of what is known about Chinese jade, which has been a central element of Chinese material culture for an uninterrupted span of seven thousand years, and will appeal to collectors and newcomers to the subject alike.