Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture
by Sarah Handler (University of California Press, Berkley, California) $65.
A stunningly beautiful text, Austere Luminosity blends art history with social history to trace the evolution of Chinese hardwood furniture. Author Sarah Handler, former curator of the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, hails the invention of functional furniture—a distinctive way to support and contain people and things within the household—as one of China’s premier contributions to the arts. More than 300 illustrations complement the book’s 20 chapters, which are divided by type of furniture and with such titles as "The Folding Chair: An Elegant Vagabond" and "On a New World Arose a Kang Table."
A stunningly beautiful text, Austere Luminosity blends art history with social history to trace the evolution of Chinese hardwood furniture. Author Sarah Handler, former curator of the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, hails the invention of functional furniture—a distinctive way to support and contain people and things within the household—as one of China’s premier contributions to the arts. More than 300 illustrations complement the book’s 20 chapters, which are divided by type of furniture and with such titles as "The Folding Chair: An Elegant Vagabond" and "On a New World Arose a Kang Table."
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