First published as a catalog for an exhibition of Qing porcelain held in the United States by the Percival David Foundation and the American Federation of Arts, this book presents Qing dynasty porcelain created for the Chinese imperial court. This book presents only items made for and appreciated by Chinese royalty, rather than the porcelain made for export to the West.

In this study, Emily Byrne Curtis explores as her subject lenses, spectacles, aventurine glass, and windows found in China from the sixteenth century. She traces their technological development back to the glassworks in Murano, Venice, and explores their significance in terms of Venice's commerce with China. Because glassware also figured among the gifts which three papal legates from the Vatican presented to the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors, the author examines many documents from the archives in Rome and the Vatican; the study therefore touches, to an extent, on the history of the Catholic Church in China. Curtis also discusses in the volume some contemporary Chinese references and verses to European glassware, and in the case of enamel materials, she discloses the pronounced effect their use had upon the decor of Chinese porcelains.

The British Museum holds the worlds broadest collection of Ming ceramics. Nearly a thousand items are here illustrated, identified, dated and discussed, incorporating the most up-to-date archaeological discoveries and scientific research previously available only in Chinese or specialist journals. Five introductory essays provide an accessible framework. Each of the catalogues twenty chapters is then introduced with a brief summary of its defining characteristics. A wealth of additional information is clearly interpreted and presented in a series of appendices, tables and maps for ease of reference and research by collectors, students and scholars.

With over 800 unique photographs, this Chinese art book is a feast for the eyes. Produced exclusively for wealthy Chinese communities along the Strait of Malacca in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Peranakan Chinese porcelain is enjoying a resurgence of interest among collectors. Straits-born Chinese, or Peranakans, in Penang, Malacca and Singapore, used this ornate and colorful enamelware on festive occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and Chinese New Year. Peranakan Chinese Porcelain is richly illustrated and includes key information on reign marks and factory marks. In-depth discussion of the motifs, colors, forms and functions of Peranakan Chinese ceramics makes this an invaluable reference. Supporting photographs and text introduce related aspects of Peranakan culture including architecture, dress, cuisine and customs, making Peranakan Chinese Porcelain a wonderful contribution to the history of the Straits Chinese.