- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Princeton University Press; New Ed edition (2 July 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0691009570
- ISBN-13: 978-0691009575
- Product Dimensions: 28.1 x 21.8 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 916,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Review
A truly unique book to clarify the mind about what Chinese art is now and what it was. -- "Choice
[A] stimulating and provocative overview of the theme of creativity in Chinese art . . . This may be a book with a large and ambitious thesis, but it is also one very firmly grounded in specifics . . . illustrated with a richness and aptness which is rarely seen today . . . The clarity of exposition and the liveliness of the language makes each of the eight linked essays a pleasure to read on its own . . . The work deserves a wide readership, drawn from anyone who thinks that creativity matters. -- Craig Clunas, Burlington Magazine
While the idea that traditional China can be defined by its production processes is not entirely new, only with Lothar Ledderose's Ten Thousand Things has that argument been made comprehensively, and in terms that fully engage the social and art historian . . . [A]n excellent resource for the social and art history of China. -- James A. Flath, Pacific Affairs
Ledderose's book, although written to be accessible to a nonspecialist reader, should have an equally impressive impact on scholars. . . . After reading it, one cannot but be excited about the future direction and possibilities of Chinese art history. -- Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, Journal of Asian Studies
[A] stimulating and provocative overview of the theme of creativity in Chinese art . . . This may be a book with a large and ambitious thesis, but it is also one very firmly grounded in specifics . . . illustrated with a richness and aptness which is rarely seen today . . . The clarity of exposition and the liveliness of the language makes each of the eight linked essays a pleasure to read on its own . . . The work deserves a wide readership, drawn from anyone who thinks that creativity matters. -- Craig Clunas, Burlington Magazine
While the idea that traditional China can be defined by its production processes is not entirely new, only with Lothar Ledderose's Ten Thousand Things has that argument been made comprehensively, and in terms that fully engage the social and art historian . . . [A]n excellent resource for the social and art history of China. -- James A. Flath, Pacific Affairs
Ledderose's book, although written to be accessible to a nonspecialist reader, should have an equally impressive impact on scholars. . . . After reading it, one cannot but be excited about the future direction and possibilities of Chinese art history. -- Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, Journal of Asian Studies
Choice
A truly unique book to clarify the mind about what Chinese art is now and what it was.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
'fascinating stuff' says The New Scientist (4/3/00), 'as he connects the development of written Chinese - a system of simple elements repeated and assembled in various ways to give a rich orthography - with mass manufacture itself.'
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
An indispensable insight into Chinese thought
25 Sep 2003
Format:Paperback
This is one of the clearest and most insightful examinations of ancient Chinese aesthetics and related philosophical and philogical materials that has been produced in the English language. We owe Prof. Ledderose a great debt of gratitude for having taken the care to lay out in such a readable volume the gist of a pragmatic approach to the creation of art and artifact that came to predominate throughout thousands of years of Chinese culture. His examination of the modular construction of the Chinese written language is compelling. The book should be required reading for students of any and all disciplines that begin with the phrase "traditional Chinese", be they students of medicine, martial arts, meditation, music, painting, or any other of a long list of subjects that have been influenced by the approach to thought and logic that is revealed in its pages.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
showcases millennia of Chinese art
15 Feb 2007
Format:Paperback
To a reader not from China, Ledderose gives an eloquent and graceful exposition of thousands of years of Chinese art. Within this, he considers Chinese script to be an intrinsic art form. Millennia ago, China made this decisive choice for the written form of their language. Whereas in the Middle East and thence in Europe, alphabets were the other preference. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage of the script is that each symbol must be memorised for its meaning and pronunciation. But by decoupling a symbol from its sound, Chinese scripts from centuries or millennia ago can still be mostly correctly read. Ledderose makes the point that as pronunciations change, or political boundaries change, alphabet-based writings tend to undergo changes. Hence the fracturing of Latin into the various European languages after the Roman empire fell. These are good points that Ledderose makes. Though he also acknowledges that alphabets are far easier for the user to learn.
Most of the book describes other art forms in China. Accompanied by many photos, including several in colour, that illustrate examples of these forms. Examples shown date back to the Bronze Age, as in seals used by nobles. Even then, the artistry was intricate and meticulous.
Most of the book describes other art forms in China. Accompanied by many photos, including several in colour, that illustrate examples of these forms. Examples shown date back to the Bronze Age, as in seals used by nobles. Even then, the artistry was intricate and meticulous.
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