Taoism and the Arts of China
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: November 30, 2000
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 352
ISBN-13: 9780520227842
Subjects: Exhibition catalogues and specific collections; Oriental art; Taoism; BCE to c 500 CE; Modern period, c 1500 onwards; c 1000 CE to c 1500; c 500 CE to c 1000 CE; Exhibitions; Art, Taoist; Art & Art Instruction; Art; China; Folk & Outsider Art; Asian; Subjects & Themes - General; Art / General; Art, Chinese
Description: "Taoism and the Arts of China brings together a collection of art from one of China's most ancient and influential traditions. Produced to accompany the first major exhibition ever organized on the Taoist philosophy and religion, this opulent book includes more than 150 works of art from as early as the late Zhou dynasty (5th-3rd century B.C.) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Many of these works are paintings that show the breathtaking range of style and subject that makes the Taoist heritage so rich.

Sculpture, calligraphy, rare books, textiles, and ritual objects are also represented.".

"Like the exhibition, the book is organized thematically. It begins with the sage Laozi, and moves on to explore the birth of religious Taoism and the interaction between Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. A wealth of subjects is covered: the gods of the Taoist pantheon, ritual, the boundaries and intersections between Taoism and popular religion, Taoist immortals and realized beings, the role of alchemy, sacred landscape and its significance, and Taoist temples and their architecture.".

"Taoism and the Arts of China includes a series of introductory essays by scholars with a deep understanding of their subjects. Among the topics are a historical introduction to Taoism, archaeological evidence for early Taoist art, and a general introduction to the functions of art in religous Taoism. Illustrated with over 230 color images, this volume affords a sweeping view of an artisitic terrain that until now has received too little exposure in the West.

Its publication constitutes a major advance in Western understanding of this important tradition."--BOOK JACKET.