Illuminating one thousand years of history; The Pilgrim Art explores the remarkable cultural influence of Chinese porcelain around the globe. Cobalt ore was shipped from Persia to China in the fourteenth century; where it was used to decorate porcelain for Muslims in Southeast Asia; India; Persia; and Iraq. Spanish galleons delivered porcelain to Peru and Mexico while aristocrats in Europe ordered tableware from Canton. The book tells the fascinating story of how porcelain became a vehicle for the transmission and assimilation of artistic symbols; themes; and designs across vast distancesmdash;from Japan and Java to Egypt and England. It not only illustrates how porcelain influenced local artistic traditions but also shows how it became deeply intertwined with religion; economics; politics; and social identity. Bringing together many strands of history in an engaging narrative studded with fascinating vignettes; this is a history of cross-cultural exchange focused on an exceptional commodity that illuminates the emergence of what is arguably the first genuinely global culture.
#4308191 in eBooks 2010-02-25 2010-02-25File Name: B003AU7EE2
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