Dialogue with the Ancients: 100 Bronzes of the Shang, Zhou and Han Dynasties - The Shen Zhai Collection.

Singapore: 2018. 422 pages, illustrated throughout in colour. Hardcover in slipcase 33.8x50cms. ISBN: 9789811175343. 100 ancient Chinese bronzes from the Studio of Reverence are presented in this volume - with the majority illustrated in actual size. Each vessel, from circa 1600 BC-AD 220, is documented in detail, with reference to comparable specimens and archaeological findings. The catalogue is structured chronologically so that the evolution of form, design, and technology throughout the three dynasties may be observed.As well as Patrick Kwok's introduction on forming the collection, six other essays explore: the history of bronze collecting and modern Chinese archaeology (Dr Tianlong Jiao); the Hu vessel and mysticism (Prof. Eugene Wang); Western Zhou and archaic styles (Prof. Li Feng); Han bronzes, iconography, and animal motifs (Prof. Allison Miller); the Shen Zhai owl zun and owl symbolism from late Shang to early Western Zhou (Dr Wang Tao); and the Shen Zhai bear and mythology in Han bronzes (Ms Sarah Wong).