Concubines and Courtesans

This dazzling array of exquisite and intimate art from one of the world's most renowned collectors covers more than three centuries of Chinese erotic art. This opulently illustrated volume offers a wide-ranging examination of erotic artifacts from the end of the Ming Dynasty, around 1600, to the heyday of Shanghai in the 1920s. It includes luxurious reproductions of prints, watercolors, oil paintings, ivory carvings, pottery, fans, and screens, among other items.The author gives a careful analysis of the history of erotic art in China and includes rare photographs on subjects such as foot binding and prostitution. Examining these works as artifacts of Chinese culture, this book gives a uniquely comprehensive perspective on eroticism, romantic love, religious belief, and gender roles in Chinese history.