During the Northern Song dynasty (960-1126), new ground was broken in aesthetic thought, particularly in the fields of art collecting, poetry criticism, connoisseurship of flowers, and the song lyric. Collectively these activities constitute much of what was distinctive about Northern Song culture. Yet the subjects treated here were unprecedented when they appeared; consequently, bold exploration was coupled with anxiety about the worth of these interests, especially given the Confucian biases against these pursuits. Despite differences in each area, certain overarching themes surface repeatedly. Together, these interests and choices suggest a logic behind the new directions of literati culture in the Northern Song. By focusing on the problem of beauty, the author calls attention to the difficulties that Northern Song innovators faced in justifying these new pursuits.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Harvard University Press
ISBN-13
9780674022645
eBay Product ID (ePID)
94571816
Product Key Features
Author
Ronald C. Egan
Publication Name
The Problem of Beauty: Aesthetic Thought and Pursuits in Northern Song Dynasty China
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Subject
History
Publication Year
2006
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
425 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
235mm
Item Width
159mm
Volume
No. 271
Item Weight
738g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
Ronald C. Egan
Series Title
Harvard East Asian Monographs
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
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