Chinese Sculpture

Sculpture is becoming known as one of China’s great arts. Neolithic figurines, rows upon rows of underground terra-cotta statues, exquisite bronzes, Buddhas carved in cave walls—all these are part of a vast sculptural heritage. This gorgeous book, written by a team of eminent international scholars, is the first to offer a comprehensive history of Chinese sculpture. Spanning some seven thousand years, Chinese Sculpture explores a beautiful and diverse world of objects, many of which have come to light in recent decades.

The authors analyze and present, mostly in color, more than five hundred examples of Chinese sculpture, dividing China’s rich and complex sculptural legacy into two parts—secular (tomb and mortuary art) and religious (Buddhist, Confucianist, and Daoist art). Throughout, the authors highlight the inventiveness, purposes, and brilliant execution of Chinese sculpture and comment on how the country’s culture nurtured the practical and intellectual choices that shaped its sculptural traditions over the millennia.