Background & historical context
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The Art and Architecture of China
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Call Number: Art Library, N 7340.S46 1992 (2 copies)ISBN: 0300053347The Chinese boast a longer span of cultural history than any other culture. The text traces the influence of religious and philosophical ideas -- such as Confucianism, Tao, Buddhism -- as well as the impact of material prosperity. -
Art in China
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Call Number: Art Library N7340 .C59 1997 (2 copies)ISBN: 0192842072Publication Date: 1997Concise history; timeline, bibliographic essay. -
Arts of China
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Call Number: Art Library, N7340 .S92 1999 (5 copies)ISBN: 0520218760Publication Date: 2000An important introductory text for the study of Chinese art. Organized by period from before the Shang dynasty to the twentieth century. -
Arts of China Series
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Call Number: Art Library, N 7343 .W38 1995 (to 900 CE); N 7343 .W382 2000 (900-1620); N 7343 .W3822 2007 (after 1600)ISBN: 0300073933An important survey of Chinese art, architecture, decorative arts and artifacts from prehistoric times to the twentieth century. Styles, iconography, motifs, materials, and techniques are traced by province. -
The British Museum Book of Chinese Art
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Call Number: Art Library N7342 .B75 1992Publication Date: 1992Overview; Includes chronologies, list of sites, painters and glossaries. -
China, 5000 Years: Innovation and Transformation in the Arts
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Call Number: Art Oversize, N 7342 .C525 1998ISBN: 0810969084A 1988 exhibition exploring themes of innovation and transformation during the great eras of Chinese art, from the Neolithic period to the mid-19th century. See also the exhibition website. -
Chinese Painting
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Call Number: Art Library ND1043 .C28 1985ISBN: 0847800792Publication Date: 1985Survey of paintings and artists; Han dynasty (206 B.C.-221 A.D.) through Ching Dynasty (1644-1911). -
Understanding Far Eastern Art: A Complete Guide to the Arts of China, Japan and Korea: Ceramics, Sculpture, Painting, Prints, Lacquer, Textiles and Metalwork
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Call Number: Art Library, N7337 .H97 1987An introduction to primary materials and techniques written for the non-specialist.
Fact checking: Dates, Names Places
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Grove Art Online
Most comprehensive art encyclopedia available in English; useful for scholarly overviews and excellent bibliographies. -
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
A chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art illustrated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Global coverage from prehistory to modern. Authored by the Met's curatorial, conservation and education staff. -
Timeline of Chinese History
Dynasties of China with their dates and an annotated outline of Chinese history. -
Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN)
For place names and their variants. -
Historical Maps of Asia: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
Historical maps of Asia primarily from the 19th & 20c. Includes maps of various types: political, topographical, thematic, etc.
Transliteration issues
There are three systems for transliterating Chinese characters to the Roman alphabet and one of them, Pinyin, does not use standardized spelling. For example, Zhang Daqian (pinyin), could also be written as Chang Ta-ch’ien (Wade-Giles), or Chang Taichien (artist’s own spelling of his name).
The following charts help convert between Pinyin and Wade-Giles: