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Traces the three-thousand-year history of the emperor's imperial collection, from the Bronze Age to the present

Table of Contents

Foreword: The Saga of China's Imperial Collections, by Thomas Lawton

Prologue

1. China's Imperial Art Treasures from Early Times to the Twelfth Century

2. Imperial Treasures under the Ming and Qing Dynasties

3. From Private to Public Treasures: The Early Republican Era, 1911-1930

4. The Treasures through Times of War, 1931-1947

5. Relocating and Rebuilding the Palace Museum on Taiwan

6. The Gugong in Beijing: National Treasure and Political Object

7. Epilogue: The Politics of China's Imperial Art

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Jeannette Shambaugh Elliott (1912-96) was a Sinologist and art collector. David Shambaugh is professor and director of the China Policy Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. He is the former editor of The China Quarterly and a preeminent analyst of contemporary Chinese affairs, with numerous publications to his credit.

Reviews

"A master narrative of the political life of art objects in China, from early Shang-dynasty bronze vessels to the remnant collections of the last Qing emperor now belonging to the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and the Palace Museum in Beijing. . . . The study is the first to present an extended account in English of the travails of creating, compiling, and protecting a national patrimony in tumultuous twentieth-century China." (CAA Reviews) "The story is enriched with the personalities and events that shaped the collections over the centuries, and the details of the study provide an informative background for specialists, students, and connoisseurs. This is a fascinating, enlightening study of a little-known subject. Highly recommended." (Choice)