Kingfisher blue : treasures of an ancient Chinese art / Beverley Jackson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jackson, Beverley.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Decorative arts--China.

Decorative arts.

Kingfishers.

Featherwork.

Wearable art.

China.

Wearable art--China.

Featherwork--China.

Kingfishers--Collection and preservation.

Physical Description:

xi, 227 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 27 cm

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : Ten Speed Press, [2001]

Summary:

Many cultures around the world have used bird feathers as decorative accessories to denote status, wealth, and even royalty. Nowhere did this unusual art from reach greater popularity than in China, beginning a thousand years ago and continuing to this day. Using the kingfisher -- with its uniquely iridescent range of ultramarine to bright turquoise-blue feathers -- as their bird of choice, Chinese artisans created extraordinary and exquisite objects, rendering the many-hued feathers with exquisite technique. The sheer breadth of these objects is staggering, from massive eight-foot-tall screens to tiny two-inch-long hair pins, from ornately ornamental lanterns to elegantly simple bird cages. Beverley Jackson has once again gathered an exceptional group of objects for study from great museums and private collections alike. Her lively, informative text and unique selection of historical photographs make "Kingfisher Blue" a coffee table book that reads like a novel.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Captivating Color 1

Chapter 2 The Beak Is Greenish, Narrow, and Long 13

Chapter 3 Feathers Cast in a Jade Hall 27

Chapter 4 A Wise Man Seeks Pleasure Only When His Rice Bin Is Full 41

Chapter 5 There's More to It Than Combing the Hair 57

Chapter 6 Crowns, Hats, and Headdresses Start at the Top 77

Chapter 7 There's Always Room for More Jewelry 117

Chapter 8 Ships Sail to the East 141

Chapter 9 It's a Breeze 153

Chapter 10 The Celestial Ministry of Finance for the Gods 169

Chapter 11 The Kingfisher Blue View 187

Chapter 12 A Night at the Opera 201.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-222) and index.

ISBN:

1580082610

1580083684

OCLC:

46959363