Published on the occasion of an exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum focusing on the conservation of the Victoria and Albert Museum's Mazarin Chest, from March 3 to May 24, 2009, this is the first English translation of Jesuit Filippo Bonanni's eighteenth-century treatise, considered the most important and comprehensive early study of Chinese lacquer in Europe. Bonanni relates various authors' attempts to understand and analyze the composition of the newly imported Chinese lacquer. He lists a variety of recipes of the time as well as their effectiveness--including various European recipes developed as an affordable alternative to the Chinese import--and offers what he considers the most reliable recipe, as well as his own appraisal of the best uses and applications of the lacquer. An invaluable primary source for scholars and conservators.

Presents a wide range of exceptional Chinese lacquerware representing a broad time span and multiple techniques. The lacquers range in date from the later Han dynasty (1st-2nd century CE) to the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The collection is also rich in uniquely Yuan dynasty lacquerware, which is noted for its austere and refined appearance.

This reference tool covers the technology and methods of treatment for both types of lacquer and assesses current practices. It describes production technology and decorative techniques and discusses the materials used in Asian lacquer.

Dating back several thousand years, the art of lacquer is one of the most ancient expressions of Asian culture, and this publication provides an overview of the different kinds of methods and materials used in Cambodia, China, India, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The number of people employed in this ancestral art has fallen dramatically throughout Asia in recent decades, and this book considers the challenges to its survival as well as highlighting the importance of documenting past and modern procedures.

A highly illustrated study into the art, craft and techniques of Burmese lacquerware from ancient times to the present. Beginning with the origins, the book covers process, technique, decoration, design, motifs, usage (secular, religious and ceremonial), craft centres in Burma and collections.

This book covers Chinese archaeology from the first people to the unification of the empire, emphasizing cultural variations and interregional contact.

An incomparable look at how Chinese artists have used mass production to assemble exquisite objects from standardized parts Chinese workers in the third century BC created seven thousand life-sized terracotta soldiers to guard the tomb of the First Emperor. In the eleventh century AD, Chinese builders constructed a pagoda from as many as thirty thousand separately carved wooden pieces. As these examples show, throughout history, Chinese artisans have produced works of art in astonishing quantities, and have done so without sacrificing quality, affordability, or speed of manufacture. In this book, Lothar Ledderose takes us on a remarkable tour of Chinese art and culture to explain how artists used complex systems of mass production to assemble extraordinary objects from standardized parts or modules. He reveals how these systems have deep roots in Chinese thought and reflect characteristically Chinese modes of social organization. Combining invaluable aesthetic and cultural insights with a rich variety of illustrations, Ten Thousand Things make a profound statement about Chinese art and society.