The Representation of the Figure in Chinese History

The large album with color illustrations is the first of its kind in China and abroad. The dress, makeup and body gait of people tell the culture and ideology of a given period of history in a given region. The records of them are of great value for study. This album contains photos of ancient sculptures of pottery, bronze and stone, and paintings of human figures, representing the history of China from primitive times to the last feudal empire of the Qing Dynasty. The whole book is divided into 20 sections in nine chapters in a chronological order. Each section describes several forms of art, typical to a certain period The painted pottery human figure of primitive age are simple yet, show a mysterious air; the bronze statues of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties look fierce and strange; the terra-cotta warriors and horses of the Qin Dynasty have glorious bearings; the drawings on stone of the Han Dynasty are of archaic and free-hand style; human figures of the Wei and Jin Dynasties are graceful; those of the Tang Dynasty are plump and richly decorated; those of the Song and Yuan Dynasties display the life style and dressing customs of the time; and those of the Ming and Qing Dynasties show the elaborate rites. Images of Buddha and emperors are introduced separately in two chapters. There are altogether 422 illustrations and 110,000 characters of text, systematically expounding the evolution of the arts of sculpture and drawings of human figures in China, through this book the reader will be able to learn about different ethnic groups, customs, life style and culture of the ancient Chinese nation. This album is a collection of the best pieces of artistic human figures and a good reference material for professional designers.