Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent unused condition. Images are beautiful bright and vivid. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China is an outstanding illustrated survey of carvings from some of the world’s finest and most unusual private and public collections. For more than 2000 years the delicate and intricately carved rhinoceros horn cups were highly valued for their magical properties. Thought to detect poison they were later used by the kings of Europe. Part I uses literary sources and archaeological evidence to explore these and other myths about the rhinoceros and its horn. Diagrams and photographs accompany descriptions of the animal and the various shapes cytology and visual properties of rhinoceros horn are detailed so that the reader can easily distinguish between them. The author draws on first-hand knowledge to explain the carving technique from trimming the horn through sketching and carving the design to finishing and dyeing the final product. She presents a new identification system to classify the rare and beautiful artworks that are pictured throughout this book. Many of the carvers of these exquisite pieces can be identified by inscriptions which are illustrated in Part II alongside the Roman and Chinese forms of their names and examples of their work. The symbolism of the animals and flowers portrayed in the intricate designs is explained as are the well-known stories or best-loved Chinese poems. (MP)