Later Chinese Bronzes

The Saint Louis Art Museum and Robert E. Kresko Collections

Philip K. Hu

Ranging in date from the Northern Song (960 - 1127) through the Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties, later Chinese bronzes constitute one of the most intriguing, yet least studied aspects of Chinese art, in part due to difficulties associated with connoisseurship and dating. However, recent art-historical research and scientific analyses have allowed for better understanding of the stylistic, functional, and technical development of bronze-making during the final millennium of China's long imperial history. Later Chinese bronzes have finally emerged from the shadow of their ancient counterparts and may be appreciated as valuable works of art in their own right. This volume, one of the very few in English to treat this fascinating subject in a comprehensive way, begins with an essay on the building of the remarkable Kresko collection followed by an overview of later Chinese bronzes. The thirty-eight entries study each piece not only from art historical and cultural points of view, but also from a technical perspective including casting techniques, methods of decoration, and in some cases, later repairs. Each entry is accompanied by full-color photography, color illustrations and technical notes. An extensive bibliography of international sources both documents and advances the study of later Chinese bronzes. Contents: Foreword by Brent R. Benjamin ? Acknowledgments by Philip K. Hu ? Roberet Kresko and Collecting Chinese Art by Steven D. Owyoung ? Later Chinese Bronzes: An Overview by Robert D. Mowry

Price: US$35.00