{"product_id":"masterpieces-of-classical-chinese-painting-first-edition-second-printing","title":"Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Painting (First Edition, Second Printing)","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHAO, Qingqing; ZHENG, Xinmiao; ZHANG, Bo; JIANG, Peng \u0026amp; LI, Lin\u003c\/strong\u003e (ed. Zheng Xinmiao). \u003cem\u003eMasterpieces of Classical Chinese Painting.\u003c\/em\u003e London \u0026amp; New York: Abbeville Press, 2011.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eFolio. Softcover volume with printed silk-textured covers, bound in the traditional Chinese stab-binding technique with hand-sewn thread. Folded leaves throughout. Premium paper with silk-textured surface. 270 pp. 105 full-colour plates, each work reproduced in full on the verso with narrative caption, and again as a full-page detail on the recto — 234 colour illustrations in total. Wraparound clamshell case with gilt titling. \u003cstrong\u003eFirst edition, second printing.\u003c\/strong\u003e Chronological coverage: Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 317–420) to the end of the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis volume highlights a marvellous synthesis of modern production methods with classical techniques. Printed on premium paper whose subtle texture recalls the feel of silk, it is crafted in the traditional Chinese manner, with folded leaves and a hand-sewn thread binding, its soft covers protected by an elegant wraparound case stamped in gold. The stab-binding technique — in which folded sheets are sewn together through holes pierced along the spine edge, with the thread exposed rather than concealed — is among the most ancient of Chinese bookbinding forms, used for manuscripts and printed books from the Tang dynasty through the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe collection of works within opens in the Eastern Jin dynasty of the early fourth century AD and moves chronologically through the Tang and Song dynasties — the twin peaks of Chinese painting, in which the major genres and their governing aesthetic principles were established — through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods to the end of the nineteenth century. These masterworks range from brightly coloured and crisply delineated Buddhist frescoes to the muted yet evocative ink-wash landscapes of the literati painters. The three major genres that structure the history of Chinese painting — figurative painting, landscape, and bird-and-flower — are each represented and traced through their development across successive dynasties.\u003cspan class=\"inline-flex\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe editorial structure adopted for each of the 105 works is both scholarly and visually generous. Each spread presents the complete work reproduced in full on one page, with a narrative caption describing its style, iconography, and historical context. The introductory essays, written by a team of specialists drawn from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the National Museum of China, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and leading Chinese art history faculties, provide the historical and critical framework within which the individual works can be understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe contributors carry between them the full authority of contemporary Chinese painting scholarship. Zheng Xinmiao, the volume's editor, served as director of the Palace Museum in Beijing — the institution whose holdings include the largest collection of Chinese imperial art in the world. Zhang Hongxing is a senior curator and researcher at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Shao Qingqing is a curator at the National Museum of China. Zhang Bo specialises in the art of the Ming and Qing dynasties; Jiang Peng in the scroll paintings of the Song through Qing periods; Li Lin in the earlier history of Chinese painting at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNear fine. \u003c\/strong\u003eSome very minor spotting along the binding edge; otherwise clean, bright, and fine throughout. The wraparound clamshell case presents well. Publisher's shipping box retained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note: This is a large and heavy volume. Additional postage costs may apply. If so, we will contact you after purchase.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis book is currently not on display in store.\u003cbr\u003eIf you would like more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact: \u003ca href=\"mailto:rarebooks@harryhartog.com.au\" title=\"Harry Hartog Rare Book Department\"\u003erarebooks@harryhartog.com.au\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Number: HH000617\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Qingqing Shao","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49269512241395,"sku":"1110002994708","price":220.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0634\/4284\/5939\/files\/1_15002aa0-80dc-46fe-933a-7aaa4106d5ec.png?v=1781827497","url":"https:\/\/www.harryhartog.com.au\/products\/masterpieces-of-classical-chinese-painting-first-edition-second-printing","provider":"Harry Hartog Bookseller","version":"1.0","type":"link"}