Les Bronzes Chinois: Le guide du connaisseur

Office du Livre, S.A., Fribourg (Suisse), 1980 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. French text; Hardcover (cloth with dust jacket); 25.3 x 31.9 cm; 1.868 Kg; 252 pages with 156 illustrations, 41 in colour plus 102 black and white ; Used book in very good condition with signs of shelf wear and a minor scuff on the dust jacket. The interior is in almost as new.; This book on Chinese bronzes illustrates pieces from museums and collections around the world. It serves as a reference book for specialists and Chinese art lovers.; Chinese bronzes are particularly appreciated by westerners, since they constitute one of the major aspects of art of this civilisation. Since ancient times the Chinese considered this material the most precious and splendid. Reserved for the kings, emperors and upper echelons of society, bronze symbolised religion through the rituals performed in honour of the ancestors and the power acquired directly from 'heaven' and a certain splendour of art when it was buried along with the deceased. In rare cases, it could commemorate an important event: a battle victory, an act of bravery, a royal favour, etc. This book, which provides a summary on Chinese bronzes and illustrates pieces from museums and collections around the world, constitutes an essential work for specialists and amateurs of Chinese art. The authors thought it would be useful and interesting to add some advice to amateurs, in the form of a glossary of Chinese terms and a list of museums, providing the reader with a solid instrument of knowledge of Chinese bronzes..