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Celestial Beings and Bird-Men

Angus Forsyth
€49.99
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A01=Angus Forsyth
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angels
anthropomorphic creature
apsara
Author_Angus Forsyth
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byzantine empire
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=ACG
Category=AGA
Category=HBJF
Category=NHF
Category=WCN
china
chinese jade
COP=United Kingdom
Delivery_Delivery within 10-20 working days
east asian art
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
figurines
flying creature
garuda
han dynasty
headdress ornaments
jade working
kinnara
Language_English
middle kingdom
oriental ceramics society
PA=Available
peony collection
Price_€20 to €50
PS=Active
softlaunch

Product details

  • ISBN 9781781300718
  • Weight: 1520g
  • Dimensions: 202 x 254mm
  • Publication Date: 29 Oct 2020
  • Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Hardback
  • Language: English
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Description

A sequel to Ships of the Silk Road, this is an informed and beautifully illustrated treatment of flying men in Chinese jade.

Jade figurines depicting human flight are a varied and expressive manifestation of this most prized artistic medium. Angus Forsyth, a prominent collector of Chinese jade, explores the making in the Middle Kingdom (over a 2000-year period, from the Han Dynasty onwards) of unique objects depicting figural movement through the air.

A distinctive characteristic of Chinese artefacts is that, in contrast to their Western angelic counterparts, they often are wingless. Forsyth examines the depiction of apsaras (flying angels), kinnaras (bird-men), garudas (humanoid birds appearing in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology) and finally anthropomorphized bird headdress ornaments. He shows how these flying figures came to be associated with veneration of the gods and specific devotional practice.

Examining a variety of representative objects, none of which has been seen in print before, the author reveals that the original concept behind flying celestial beings and bird-men originated not in China but in India and the Christianized West, via the Silk Road. The book discusses small and larger jade pieces alike.
About Angus Forsyth
Angus Forsyth is an internationally respected collector of, and authority on, Chinese jade and a former president of the Oriental Ceramics Society of Hong Kong. He has given long and dedicated study to ancient jades, with special attention to the Neolithic period, publishing widely on the topic. His publications include Chinese Jade (1991) and Jades from China (coauthored with Brian McElney, 1994). The latter was written as the catalogue of an exhibition held in the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath, England, featuring more than two hundred jades from his own Peony Collection. Angus is the author of Ships of the Silk Road: The Bactrian Camel in Chinese Jade (PWP, 2018).

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