A01=Wen Zhenheng
aesthetic things
antiques
Author_Wen Zhenheng
caged birds
Category=AGA
Category=JBCC2
Category=NHF
Category=NHT
Category=NHTB
chinese culture
chinese history
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
famous paintings
forthcoming
fruit and veg
harmony in practice
imperial china
ming dynasty
symbolism
Product details
- ISBN 9780241799857
- Weight: 200g
- Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 27 Aug 2026
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Written in the 17th Century by Chinese scholar Wen Zhenheng, Treatise on Superfluous Things offers a compelling glimpse into the tastes and cultural values of the educated elite in late Ming China. This guide to everyday items – from window frames and old master paintings to caged birds, fruits, and vegetables – is the most complete surviving account of the material and cultural tastes of the era in one of China’s largest and richest cities. It is also a guide to finding joy, pleasure and harmony in the objects all around us every day.
Wen Zhenheng (Author)
Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645) was a bibliophile and expert in garden design who excelled in poetry, prose, and painting. He was the grandson of noted Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and literary figure Wen Zhengming (1470-1559).
