Learn about a variety of ancient Chinese arts and crafts which includes step-by-step instructions for making some of them.

'...one of the most friendly, easygoing and instructive books on the design movement' Chicago Tribune Arts & Crafts is one of the most influential design movements of all time, beginning in the late 19th century and still being explored by designers today. The Arts & Crafts ethos - rejecting mass production and industrialization in favour of individualism, simplicity, honest craftsmanship, respect for materials and good design - had a massive impact on the design of the early 20th century and transformed design sensibilities globally. This invaluable guide covers furniture, ceramics, silver and metalware, glass, textiles, jewellery, books and posters, and includes fascinating profiles of key designers such as William Morris, the Stickleys, Liberty & Co, Tiffany Studios, George Ohr, Rookwood and many more. It comes with a pictorial design directory, price ranges and a wealth of essential information for collectors and anyone wishing to follow William Morris's golden rule of Arts & Crafts: 'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.'

Also part of the Cultural China Series, this volume introduces the history and development of the traditional arts and crafts, and how these apply to many fields such as utensil, apparel, furnishings, adornment, entertainment, and commerce. Vivid color illustrations and photographs throughout.

This volume explores the prehistoric beginnings of Chinese art and its development during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. It analyses the conditions of the emergence of Chinese art and its transformation of form, content and function throughout the Three Dynasties, a historical period marked by important changes in the social and cultural Chinese landscape. A General History of Chinese Art comprises six volumes with a total of nine parts spanning from the Prehistoric Era until the 3rd year of Xuantong during the Qing Dynasty (1911). The work provides a comprehensive compilation of in-depth studies of the development of art throughout the subsequent reign of Chinese dynasties and explores the emergence of a wide range of artistic categories such as but not limited to music, dance, acrobatics, singing, story telling, painting, calligraphy, sculpture, architecture, and crafts. Unlike previous reference books, A General History of Chinese Art offers a broader overview of the notion of Chinese art by asserting a more diverse and less material understanding of arts, as has often been the case in Western scholarship.

This book presents an extensive literary survey of the influence of ancient Chinese cultural classics around the globe, highlighting a mammoth research project involving over forty countries or regions and more than twenty languages. As the book reveals, ancient Chinese culture was introduced to East Asian countries or regions very early on; furthermore, after the late Ming Dynasty, Chinese “knowhow” and ideas increasingly made inroads into the West. In particular, the translation of and research on Chinese classics around the world have enabled Chinese culture to take root and blossom on an unprecedented scale. In addition to offering a valuable resource for readers interested in culture, the social sciences, and philosophy, the book blazes new trails for the study of ancient Chinese culture.

Widely considered to be the most comprehensive introduction to ceramics available, this book contains numerous step-by-step illustrations of various ceramic techniques to guide the beginner as well as inspirational ceramic pieces from contemporary potters from around the world. For the more experienced ceramist, there is a wealth of technical detail on things like glaze formulas and temperature conversions which make the book an ideal reference. To quote one review: ...I am a studio potter and would not be without it. The fourth edition has been updated to include profiles of key ceramists who have influenced the field, new material on marketing ceramics including using the internet, more on the use of computers, added coverage of paperclays, using gold and alternative glazes.

"From the Neolithic to the avant-garde, and through all the brilliant centuries in between, Michael Sullivan's newly revised introduction to Chinese art history is unmatched in its clarity, balance, and sure grasp of the subject. Whether for the classroom student or the casual reader, its remarkable range and elegant style make this book a wonderful way for anyone to begin learning about Chinese art." --Jerome Silbergeld, Professor of Art History, University of Washington, and author of Chinese Painting Style "A concise, comprehensive, and highly readable overview of Chinese art extending from its Neolithic roots down to its modern engagement with the West."--Maxwell Hearn, Curator of Chinese Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and author of Splendors of Imperial China "I have used this text in my class for thirty years. With full revisions and additions reflecting recent archaeology and art historical scholarship, the fourth edition will continue to be the best one-volume history of Chinese art in the English language. No other historian of Chinese art today commands such a wide range of knowledge as Michael Sullivan."--Richard Barnhart, John M. Schiff Professor of the History of Art, Yale University, and editor of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting "This is the most comprehensive study of Chinese art, giving up-to-date information from the Stone Age to the twentieth century. Professor Michael Sullivan is a leading scholar in this field, and this is an indispensable textbook for all students of Asian art history." --Wang Qingli, Professor of Chinese Art History, University of Hong Kong, and author of A History of Nineteenth-Century Chinese Art

This book, first published in 1981, provides a comprehensive appraisal of China’s crafts. Its historical approach and numerous illustrations not only reveal the ancient origins of many of China’s arts, but also offer the means for evaluating modern crafts in light of past achievements.