Chinese Silks
(Book)
746.0439 CHINE
1 available
Copies
| Location | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Central - Adult Nonfiction | 746.0439 CHINE | Available |
Description
The first comprehensive history of China's most luxurious textile and its enduring influence on Chinese civilization and art Over the past fifty years, archaeological explorations in China have unearthed a wealth of textile materials, some dating as far back as five thousand years. In this magnificently researched and illustrated book, preeminent Western and Chinese scholars draw upon these spectacular discoveries to provide the most thorough account of the history of silk ever written.
Encyclopedic in breadth, the volume presents a chronological history of silk from a variety of perspectives, including archaeological, technological, art historical, and aesthetic. The contributors explore the range of uses for silk, from the everyday to the sublime. By directly connecting recently found textile artifacts to specific references in China's vast historical literature, they illuminate the evolution of silk making and the driving social forces that have inspired the creation of innovative textiles through the millennia.
Published in association with the Foreign Languages Press, BeijingMore Details
Notes
Table of Contents
Subjects
Published Reviews
Choice Review
This edited volume of essays, published in both Chinese and English, is a cooperative effort between Chinese and Western scholars that explores for both general and scholarly audiences the history of Chinese silk textiles. The book begins with a chronology and list of emperors, and ends with strong chapter notes and an extensive index. Essays are arranged chronologically by dynasty with some overlap of time period and information. Each essay discusses the developments and advancements in sericulture, silk cloth manufacturing, and fabrics. Details of materials, structures (weaving, printing, and embroidery), motifs and patterns, color and dyes (including resists), national and international trade, and finished cloth use emphasize silk as material culture and a product of daily life for all social classes of China. The scholarship is strong, covering technical information, aesthetic concerns, and political, economic, and cross-cultural influences. A beautifully published book with images of significant textiles and supporting material culture, technical diagrams, and informational charts, this volume is indispensable for textile programs and a strong addition for art history and Asian studies programs. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. L. L. Kriner Berea College
Library Journal Review
Produced by a cooperative effort between Western and Chinese scholars and part of "The Culture and Civilization of China" series, which hopes to make previously inaccessible resources available to Western scholars, this book-the first general history of Chinese silk in English and the most comprehensive in any language-is an unqualified success. Its editor, Kuhn (sinology, emeritus, Univ. of Wurzburg, Germany; coauthor, The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China), along with a host of expert contributors, covers every aspect of Chinese silks from the Neolithic Era through the Qing Dynasty. Each chapter discusses a different period in history from archaeological, technological, art historical, and aesthetic perspectives. Artistic and technical innovations are highlighted as well as the economic and social significance of silk production in China. This book is a visual pleasure and is extensively illustrated with color photographs of textiles. Verdict Providing a sense of the rich craftsmanship of Chinese silk making, this title will be of interest to anyone curious about textiles or the art, culture, or history of China. A delight for the mind and the eyes.-Julia A. Watson, Marywood Univ. Lib., Scranton, PA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
LJ Express Reviews
Produced by a cooperative effort between Western and Chinese scholars and part of "The Culture and Civilization of China" series, which hopes to make previously inaccessible resources available to Western scholars, this book—the first general history of Chinese silk in English and the most comprehensive in any language—is an unqualified success. Its editor, Kuhn (sinology, emeritus, Univ. of Würzburg, Germany; coauthor, The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China), along with a host of expert contributors, covers every aspect of Chinese silks from the Neolithic Era through the Qing Dynasty. Each chapter discusses a different period in history from archaeological, technological, art historical, and aesthetic perspectives. Artistic and technical innovations are highlighted as well as the economic and social significance of silk production in China. This book is a visual pleasure and is extensively illustrated with color photographs of textiles. Verdict Providing a sense of the rich craftsmanship of Chinese silk making, this title will be of interest to anyone curious about textiles or the art, culture, or history of China. A delight for the mind and the eyes.—Julia A. Watson, Marywood Univ. Lib., Scranton, PA(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Reviews from GoodReads
Citations
Kuhn, D., Zhao, F., Watt, J. C. Y., Chen, J., Huang, N., Li, W., Peng, H., Knight, D. A., Shaw, C., & Williams, N. M. (2012). Chinese Silks . Yale University Press ;.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Dieter Kuhn et al.. 2012. Chinese Silks. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Dieter Kuhn et al.. Chinese Silks New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2012.
Harvard Citation (style guide)Kuhn, D., Zhao, F., Watt, J. C. Y., Chen, J., Huang, N., Li, W. and Peng, H. et al (2012). Chinese silks. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Kuhn, Dieter, et al. Chinese Silks Yale University Press ;, 2012.