From Publishers Weekly
In the vast outpouring of Chinese porcelain from the Qing (pronounced "ching") or Manchu dynasty (1644-1912), the two styles highlighted here set standards for poetic charm and lyrical virtuosity. Dubbed famille verte and famille rose by French collectors, pieces tinted in a rainbow of green or red shades stand even today as a testament to Qing potters' artistic freedom. Among the dazzling wonders shown are a bowl decorated with the "peach of longevity," a pair of geese-shaped tureens and a tall vase ablaze with roses, peonies, lilies, magnolias, lotus blossoms and chrysanthemums. The authors, both French experts on Chinese ceramics, also discuss several other styles as they show how ceramists oscillated between pieces of the purest Chinese design and those that catered to Western tastes for religious or political themes, symmetry or decoration.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This extremely well-written and fascinating study, of great value to collectors and specialists, deals with Chinese Qing (formerly Ch'ing) porcelain. Although art historians have tended to belittle most Qing art as derivative, the authors make a good case for reevaluating much of it. A clear and relevant discussion, drawing from contemporary sources, of porcelain manufacture at Jingdezhen, the imperial center of production, is followed by historical information on and porcelain produced in each reign. The illustrations are numerous, beautiful, and carefully described; the narrative is detailed and informative.Patricia R. Hausman, Coll. of William & Mary Lib., Williamsburg, Va.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.