Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery

The second package has arrived in time for Chinese Book Award. The book is beautiful and well written. Thank you.

This absolutely superb encyclopedia is a must for fans of Chinese culture. The perfect reference book for pointing out the meaning of the plethora of symbolism, patterns and motifs in Chinese art. Excellently organized, categorized by colors, mythical figures, animals, plants and flowers, fruits and vegetables, etc. -even with the Chinese and Pinyin names -presented with full color examples and in depth entries, full of fascinating information and historical significance. This is also perfect for museum trips, and even highly recommended for fans of cinema that may not understand many visual aspects in films like "Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon" or "The Last Emperor" for example. This book became an instant favourite of mine and is among Tuttle Publishing's best.

I have been researching Korean Art symbolism for many years and have acquired many books that interpret symbolism in paintings. I thought I had found the best sources of motif interpretation that a researcher could find...UNTIL:I found this book on Amazon while looking for something else. But, when I read the summary of the book I decided to buy it an add it to my collection.But, when I got it and read it I was absolutely amazed as to the depth and detail about Chinese symbolism that was contained in this book. For certain I can discard all my other books and use this single book to do any research on symbolism that I might want to indulge. C.A.S. Williams' book is good, but this book is GREAT!!!The photos and illustrations are great and very informative. The manner in which the motifs and symbolism are explained is more detailed that I have found anywhere else.This is the complete book and is now my main reference book for understanding motifs and symbolism in Oriental Art!This is a MUST HAVE for students and researchers of Asian Art!!!!!!!!!I would recommend it be available, maybe even required, for every class of Asian Art, and especially Chinese Art. Every school and library should have this book so that amateurs and professional alike will obtain the ultimate understanding of what is represented in the Art Works they might be viewing/studying. I have found Chinese art to be very difficult to understand without a basic knowledge about the symbolism/motifs represented in the art.Chinese Art is never what it appears at first glance, and this book will allow every connoisseur to better understand Asian Art!!Kudos to the Author!!!

I first encountered this book while visiting my mother-in-law (a voracious reader and traveler); she had just brought it home from the public library. Her passion is art; mine is China. Leafing through the book's pages, casually at first, the "wow!" in me grew as I saw images, both ancient and contemporary, classical and Maoist, natural and conceptual -- with a paragraph, or a little more, pointing out each image's key features. (Pineapples, being yellow, are associated with gold and rich abundance; while the many-seeded pomegranate hints at fecundity.) What's more, language lovers will find that this volume might just as accurately have been titled: "Chinese Language: A Guide to its Motifs and Verbal Imagery." The text is peppered with accompanying Chinese vocabulary (using both Pinyin and the "Simplified" characters), amply fortified with discussions of word play, and an image's reflections across dialects. Click a random page in Amazon's "Look Inside" feature for this book--you'll see what I mean.After leaving my in-laws', I came home straightaway, powered up my computer, and ordered this book online! What a gem!

This is an excellent book. For anyone who has admired a painting on a Chinese vase, the carving on a Coromandel screen or even the costumes in a Chinese New Year's Day parade - and wondered about the significance or meaning of the flowers, animals, colours, symbols and everything else - you will find the answers in this beautifully organized, lavishly illustrated, comprehensive volume.The book can be read cover-to-cover as specialized art and cultural history or opened anywhere for a fascinating glimpse into a fascinating civilization. The author brings an immense academic understanding to her subject and writes clearly, concisely, eloquently; although the book can be read by any enthusiast for things Chinese it will undoubtedly find a place on the scholar's reference bookshelf as well.CHINESE ART tackles a complicated philosophical theme - the perception of a civilization through its imagery and designs - and succeeds wonderfully. A pleasure to read and to own, a remarkable achievement, and probably definitive. Five stars.

Excellent for understanding themes and symbols, with lavish illustration.

Beautifully crafted and written book on Chinese art. Glad to have it in my collection.

Very useful book for asian art lovers.great illustrations, rich in explicationsmany thanks!

Beautifully laid out and very easy to use. A wonderful guide to understanding the imagery and symbols used in Chinese paintings. A superb buy.

Would have been great if this came in a hardcover version as well.

Very informative book and enjoyable read, beneficial to those wishing to learn the basics of Chinese art

Dieses englischsprachige Buch besteht ca. 50% aus Bildern von Kunstgegenständen, welche dann gleich auf der Seite ausführlich beschrieben werden. Mir gefällt es sehr gut, da die Bilder hervorragend sind was die Auswahl und Qualität betrifft und die Beschreibungen interessant sind.Kapitel:Flowers and PlantsFruits, Vegetables, Kernels and SeedsMineralsReal and Imaginary BirdsInsects, Reptiles, Fish and AmphibiansReal and Imaginary AnimalsChildrenSingle Male FiguresGroups of FiguresBuddhist Deities and FiguresFemale FiguresBoarders and Other Repeated PatternsChinese CharactersColorsNumbersReligious Images and SymbolsInanimate ObjectsIch war z.B. sehr erstaunt über die verschiedenen Arten von chinesischen Drachen, die hier genau beschrieben werden.Fazit: Klare Kaufempfehlung für Freunde der chinesischen Kunst

This book is a treasure of information about Chinese art and the spirit of the Chinese people that is hard to find elsewhere. It would take a life time to research by oneself. An eye opener highly recommended for anyone who wants (or needs) to understand the secret meaning of Chinese artefacts.