{"product_id":"appearance-politics","title":"Appearance Politics","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAppearance Politics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e, Lex Lu argues that crafting an appealing and powerful outward image has long been a critical political tool in China.\u003c\/b\u003e This strategy is evident in historical records, imperial portraits, physiognomic assessments, photographs, posters, statues, and digital images. Using rare archival materials from Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, Lu explores how political figures designed their images and examines the shifting standards of male beauty that shaped their choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book analyzes five case studies: Ming Prince Zhu Di's usurpation; the rise of Manchu masculinity and blended Han-Manchu beauty standards under Emperor Yongzheng; modern photography and Western beauty ideals in the early twentieth century; Sun Yat-sen's crafted image as the Republican founding father; and Mao Zedong's iconic visual legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough this empirical, nuanced study, \u003ci\u003eAppearance Politics\u003c\/i\u003e challenges stereotypical portrayals of Chinese male leadership in Western media and scholarship, offering a richer understanding of appearance as a deliberate political strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cornell University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56541365633368,"sku":"9781501787447","price":36.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781501787447_4a6f55cb-bc51-46db-a96c-844766af6e30.jpg?v=1778766372","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/appearance-politics","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}