Description
Book SynopsisMany of the finest objects of the Western Han dynasty have been excavated from the tombs of kings, who administered local provinces on behalf of the emperors. Allison R. Miller paints a new picture of elite art production by revealing the contributions of the kings to Western Han artistic culture.
Trade ReviewKingly Splendor is a deeply researched, lucid, and path-breaking exploration of cultural and political competition and exchange between the Western Han kings and the imperial court. This is a major contribution to the field of early China studies; I know of no other work that demonstrates the method and historical value of material analysis more convincingly. -- Martin Powers, author of
China and England: The Preindustrial Struggle for Justice in Word and ImageAn engaging read for students and scholars alike,
Kingly Splendor offers a fresh materials-based approach to Western Han archaeology. By privileging the stories of artisans and local rulers, Miller decenters traditional narratives about the court’s pervasive influence and highlights the creativity and innovation that flourished on the fringes. -- Sarah Laursen, Alan J. Dworsky Associate Curator of Chinese Art, Harvard Art Museums
Using art and architecture as primary evidence,
Kingly Splendor is an in-depth study of the first sixty years of the Han dynasty, and it is much more. Superbly illustrated, this first work to focus on such a short period of Chinese art also offers translations of the most important literary evidence of the period. Further, it interfaces the legacy of China’s first emperor with its resolution in early Han China. The charts, from tomb typology to jade suits, are unsurpassed by any other study. -- Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, author of
Chinese Architecture: A HistoryFinally, a book that takes seriously the royal courts of the Western Han as sites of innovation. Miller marshals her impressive art-historical and archaeological skills to zoom in on concrete aspects of a rich record of materiality created by the kings and their artisans. This book is refreshing in its attention to local contexts and initiatives, and in its refusal to assume that the imperial court at Chang’an was the measure of all things. -- Griet Vankeerberghen, author of
The Huainanzi and Liu An's Claim to Moral AuthorityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Kings and the Court in the Early Western Han
2. From Imitation to Innovation: The Emperor’s Baling Tomb and the Mountain Tombs of the Western Han Kings
3. New Styles from Political Change: The Early Han Kings and the Reimagining of Terracotta Armies
4. The Many Meanings of Jade: Jade Suits and Local Identity in the Early Han
5. The Murals at Shiyuan and the King of Liang
6. The Purple Textiles of Qi: Tracing the Growth of a Provincial Industry
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
