Product Review

Lucid, authoritative, written with verve by two respected American scholars, this generously illustrated work provides an introduction to more than 7,000 years of Chinese art€"from the pottery-making and jade-carving cultures of the Neolithic Age to contemporary Chinese artists working in video,installation, and performance media.

By placing the arts in context€"in active engagement with societies, economies, and wider fields of culture€"the authors of this much-needed general survey introduce a dynamic and continually evolving tradition rather than a sequence of isolated museum masterpieces. Although the story of Chinese art unfolds chronologically, the authors introduce relevant themes for each era that will deepen the reader€s understanding of and appreciation for what they describe as arguably €œthe most abundantly productive, continuous artistic culture in the history of the world.€