Decorative Chinese Designs

Sixteen illustrations re-create the beauty of traditional Chinese art. Apply hues to stylized floral sprays, graceful butterflies, mythical creatures, and other subjects; then just add some light and enjoy the glow!

This sumptuous edition offers all 100 full-color plates from Owen Jones's definitive presentation of Chinese ornamentation and design, one of the most beautiful books on the decorative arts ever published. Now, over a centruy after its first publication, this remarkable work continues to provide an excellent, copyright-free source of authentic Chinese design and motifs. During the vast political tumult in China in the 19th century, many of the most exquisite examples of native art from the Ming, Ch'ing and earlier dynasties were spirited out of the country and sold into Western collections. One of the most spectacular of these assemblages was housed at London's South Kensington Museum (today The Victoria and Albert Museum). In the 1860s, the noted English designer and architect Owen Jones studed this collection in depth, particularly the wealth of superb examples of porcelain and cloisonné. He then meticulously rendered many of the most intriguing and beautiful designs in full color. These were published in his celebrated book, Examples of Chinese Ornament Selected from Objects in the South Kensington Museum and Other Collections (1867). This volume offers painstaking reproductions of all one hundred original color plates from that work, which delighted the art world of the time and exerted a profound influence on the subsequent history of Western design. Now that visual inspiration is once again available to artists, illustrators, designers, and craftspeople in this inexpensive high-quality edition. Moreover, any lover of fine art can enjoy the book as a splendid tribute to the glories of Chinese design—at a price far less than those commanded by extremely rare surviving copies of Jones's original work.

This book is for readers to learn something about Chinese culture by looking at art. It describes decorative art on pottery, bronze ware, and many other art works and artifacts throughout Chinese history. It also tells the stories behind the decorative art.

This book presents over 700 Chinese motifs, showcasing 35 outstanding works inspired by Peking Opera, Paper Cutting, Animal Motifs and Auspicious Motifs, etc. Well-known designers were invited to share their design inspiration and experience concerning Chinese motifs to offer an insight into traditional Chinese culture. CD-ROM (1. The facial make-up in Chinese opera, 2. Chinese paper cutting, 3. New year painting, 4. The auspicious pattern, 5. The animal motif, 6. Plants and flowers motif).--