This is the first complete study and reappraisal of the remarkable collection of Japanese art at the Cincinnati Art Museum. It features a wealth of artifacts, including paintings and ceramics, metal objects and weaponry, screens, masks, cloisonne enamel, lacquer ware, ivory carvings, kimonos, and dolls, the majority dating from the Edo period (1615-1868) to the end of the Meiji Period in 1912.

In addition to an important introduction by Hou-mei Sung, curator of Asian art, there are contributions by two leading guest authors from Japan, professor Keiko Nakamachi and professor Masahiko Aizawa, who study the painted screens in the collection.

During the Ming Dynasty numerous new animal themes were created to convey political and ethical messages current at court. As the result a sophisticated language of Chinese animal painting was developed, employing both the animals' symbolic associations and homonymic puns. Hou-mei Sung's exciting rediscovery of some of these lost meanings has led to a full-scale investigation of the evolving history of Chinese animal painting. Distinct symbolic meanings were associated with individual motifs, but all animals were assigned a place in the universe according to the Chinese concept of nature. From the very early yin/yang cosmology to later developments of Daoist and Confucian philosophies and ethics, Chinese animals gained new meanings related to their historical contexts. This book explores these new findings, using the colorful animal images and their rich and evolving symbolic meanings to gain insight into unique aspects of Chinese art, as well as Chinese culture and history. Exhibition Schedule: Cincinnati Museum of Art (October 2009 - February 2010)

A richly illustrated book featuring recent revelations about China's first emperor, Ying Zheng, and his famous burial site containing an army of life-size terracotta soldiers and other artifacts First discovered by a farmer in 1974, the burial site of China's first emperor, Ying Zheng, has yielded thousands of life-size terracotta figures and artifacts, and continues to be excavated today. This fascinating publication features more than 130 works including ten of these majestic terracotta figures, arms and armor, horse and chariot fittings, ritual bronze vessels, works in gold and silver, jade ornaments, precious jewelry, and ceramics. Dating from the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-256 BC) through the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), these objects represent the complex history, myths, and burial customs of ancient China. The texts introduce recent scholarship on this material culture to illuminate not only the first emperor's burial complex, but also his powerful influence in Chinese history and the myriad ways in which his political and economic reforms transformed the daily lives of the Chinese people. Distributed for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Exhibition Schedule: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (11/18/17-03/11/18) Cincinnati Art Museum (04/20/18-08/12/18)