Among the most revered and beloved artworks in China are ceramics—sculptures and vessels that have been utilized to embellish tombs, homes, and studies, to drink tea and wine, and to convey social and cultural meanings such as good wishes and religious beliefs. Since the eighth century, Chinese ceramics, particularly porcelain, have played an influential role around the world as trade introduced their beauty and surpassing craft to countless artists in Europe, America, and elsewhere. Spanning five millennia, the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of Chinese ceramics represents a great diversity of materials, shapes, and subjects. The remarkable selections presented in this volume, which include both familiar examples and unusual ones, will acquaint readers with the prodigious accomplishments of Chinese ceramicists from Neolithic times to the modern era. As with previous books in the How to Read series, How to Read Chinese Ceramics elucidates the works to encourage deeper understanding and appreciation of the meaning of individual pieces and the culture in which they were created. From exquisite jars, bowls, bottles, and dishes to the elegantly sculpted Chan Patriarch Bodhidharma and the gorgeous Vase with Flowers of the Four Seasons, How to Read Chinese Ceramics is a captivating introduction to one of the greatest artistic traditions in Asian culture.

Information on "origins and development of the Chinese written language" precedes the extensive catalog of marks, including marks in regular kaishu script, marks in zhuanshu seal scripts, symbols used as marks, directory of marks, and list of potters.

Now available in paperback, this sumptuously illustrated book is the definitive guide to the provenance, technique, history and ancient traditions of Chinese ceramics. This book is an indispensable resource for all collectors, connoisseurs and students of Chinese ceramics, as well as anyone with an interest in Asia's cultural heritage.

Presents 50 selected highlights of this world-renowned collection ... The accompanying text gives brief details and draws out their most significant features"--Cover flap.

"Together the text and illustrations gradually reveal many of the major themes and characteristics of Chinese painting. To "read" these works is to enter a dialogue with the past. Slowly perusing a scroll or album, one shares an intimate experience that has been repeated over the centuries. And it is through such readings that meaning is gradually revealed."--BOOK JACKET.

Illustrated guide to the major forms of Chinese porcelain art from prehistory to the Qing Dynasty.

This book describes the production of porcelain of the Qing Dynasty, setting it against a broad historical and political background. It covers pieces made for the imperial court, as well as those in wider use. Information on techniques and on kiln construction is linked with descriptions of the personalities behind the industry, and clear photographs of makers marks are included.

"Chinese ceramics are among the most widely admired and collected in the world. From elegant Song celadons to decorative Ming vases and colorful Qing famille rose, ceramics produced in China have influenced taste and daily life globally. This new design history draws on the V&A’s comprehensive collection to look at the production, consumption, aesthetics, and transfer of Chinese ceramics. Stunning new photography illustrates more than 200 pieces, including previously unpublished objects. It also explores ceramics made in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, from Republic period porcelain to propaganda ware and studio pottery, a first for any survey history of the subject."--Publisher's description.

The product of a ten-year collaboration among eminent American, Chinese, and Japanese scholars, Chinese Ceramics offers a new perspective in interpreting the oldest and one of the most admired Chinese art forms, from its technological aspects to its aesthetic value. The volume includes a chapter on Chinese export ceramics that delves into Chinese trade activities and ceramic wares made for export as well as a chapter about the authenticity of Chinese ceramics, discussing issues related to connoisseurship of this Chinese art."--Pub. desc.