The Arts of China, 5th Revised & enlarged Edition

I bought this book for a class, and I've been satisfied with it. The pictures are nearly all in color. The few pictures that are not in color, are usually not in color because we only have black and white photographs left. I would have appreciated greater information on the pieces in the illustrations. Sometimes a piece is pictured as an example without the caption or text going into exactly what aspects of the piece make it a typical example of the period. I had to rely more on my professor for that.The book does a good job at talking about the religious, social, and scientific changes that effect the production and purpose of art.The writing is very clear but fairly dry and academic, so it's not really a book that makes you want to sit down and read it for hours. I don't think I would have finished it if I wasn't taking a class using it, but I did learn a lot.

This is the textbook for a Chinese art history class I am taking. I don't normally enjoy reading my textbooks, but this one is an exception! It is informative, easy to follow, and written at a great introductory level (I have only had one previous art history class). Chapters are ordered and laid out in a sensible way and it is easy to re-find things and compare, for example, Shang period ritual bronzes to ritual bronzes from the Eastern Zhou.I feel like this book would be best in conjunction with a class, in order to address other important works and go more in depth on certain topics that are only briefly covered in the book.Great, colorful pictures!Good price, too :)

I've not had much interaction with the study of Asian art and after much research I chose to begin with this text. It has a lot of great images and does a nice job of describing the social context of the different movements. I particularly liked the in depth coverage of painting which included the original aesthetic philosophies that motivated the artists. There is also a lot of attention paid to ceramics.The only thing that I wish was included was a visual time line. There are so many dynasties it is hard to keep them straight. If I was reading this for a class I would probably find it difficult to pinpoint the time different works were made in.

I found this book really interesting for what is going to be my research. It is a route through the history of art, traced clearly and it gives some unique information about the evolution in chinese art through the centuries. Although the immages and explaination are fundamental for the creation of a critic sense and introduce you in a world of magical symbolism, profound sense of humanity and art that seems the beginning of every single step in the chinese world. For who's interested in such argument this book is an encyclopedia that helps you understand and involve you in the chinese enchanting culture.

Very nice and informative book. I bought it for a college class but enjoy looking through the photos from time to time. Good one to have on the shelf as a reference.

Bought this textbook for a China Art course...didn't really use it much in class at all, or touch it for any required homework but when it was used in class, we only spent less than 5 minutes looking. Maybe consider trying to buy the cheapest possible.

Bought for an art history class. Good book. Very informative!

I needed this book for an Art of China and Japan class at university and I would highly recommend this book if only for the beautiful art in itit has great information about the time period, art styles and techniques used and their history, the artist and much more

Ich interessiere mich für die Kunst Chinas als Hobby und bin mit dem Buch sehr zufrieden: die Strukturierung ist klar und übersichtlich, die Sprache ist einfach und vertändlich. Viele Abbildungen unterstutzen den Text sehr gut und machen das Lesen unterhaötsam.