Synopses & Reviews
The Yongle Emperor (1403and#150;1424) was considered the most powerful, effective, and extravagant ruler of the Ming dynasty (1368and#150;1644). Major military campaigns and unprecedented maritime expeditions marked his reign. Yongle is also credited with moving the capital from the south to Beijing, establishing the Forbidden City.
In Beijing, Yongle inherited the imperial workshops instituted by the Mongol rulers of the preceding Yuan dynasty (1279and#150;1368). The superb sculptures, lacquers, metalwork, ceramics, textiles, and ivories produced during Yongleand#8217;s reign show the following influences: Islamic metalwork and glass on porcelains; Tibetan Buddhist motifs on decorative arts and sculpture. As this book demonstrates, the art of this phase of the Ming dynasty clearly had a seminal role in the development of later Chinese decorative arts.
Synopsis
During the reign of the Yongle Emperor (1403-1424), imperial workshops produced superb paintings, sculpture, porcelains, and other luxuries. Many depicted imagery associated with Tibetan Buddhism. This volume traces both the importance of foreign influences on these works and their pivotal role in the evolution of later Tibetan imagery and Chinese decorative arts.
About the Author
James C. Y. Watt is Brooke Russell Astor Chairman and Denise Patry Leidy is associate curator in the Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.