Earth Transformed: Chinese Ceramics in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Done And Well Illustrated
Review: A very nice text for a scholar of Chinese ceramics, and or cultured individual. Covers examples from Neolithic to Qing Dynasty. All of the photos are extremely well rendered, and scaled when appropriate to show close up details of the more important technical aspects of style. Many of the pieces are shown from various angles so as not to obscure hidden structure and detail. Every item represented is provided with dimensions which makes this book a valuable reverence source. The author's very disciplined selection of pieces represent as broad a perspective of relevant styles as possible. Highly Recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Almost eighty objects covering 5,000 years of art history
Review: Almost eighty objects covering 5,000 years of art history are featured in this roundup of Chinese ceramics in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Not only are the objects discussed in depth and presented in full color, but a timeline, sidebars of facts, kiln maps and other detailed information makes for a treasure-trove of insight and knowledge.

Rating:
Summary: From decorative pottery to Buddhist sculpture
Review: Earth Transformed: Chinese Ceramics In The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston by Wu Tung (Matsutaro Shoriki Curator of Asian Art and Head of the Department of the Art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa) is a gorgeous, coffee-table art book filled cover to cover with more than two hundred beautiful color photographs of seventy-nine smooth, elegant, picturesque and varied examples of the art of Chinese Ceramics throughout a 5000 year history. From decorative pottery to Buddhist sculptures, each ceramic is displayed with a detailed aside informing the reader about its origin and contextual meaning. A wondrous and beautiful book of three dimensional works of art, Earth Transformed is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library ceramic art and art history reference collections.

Rating:
Summary: A note of interest
Review: Overall, the book is of high quality. All the pictures were well taken. The pieces included were exceptional good pieces from different Chinese Dynasties. It is a book for those who have profound interest in Chinese works of art.

Readers should pay special attention to the Ruyao saucer which arouses lots of discussions among professional dealers and serious collectors. It is a very controversial piece which needs to be more thoroughly studied and examined; and compared to the existing samples in different museums and private collections around the world. Without seeing and examining the piece in person, one cannot say for sure if it is a well-sought-after Ru ware or just a later copy.