The Publication

This new bilingual six-volume publication is an expanded and revised version of the original catalogue of the 1935–36 International Exhibition of Chinese Art at the Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London. The original negatives are all reproduced as large format black and white images for the first time, together with some that were not previously published. Accompanied by new catalogue entries and revised dating where possible, the volumes offer a fresh and comprehensive overview of this historic exhibition.

The present six-volume publication represents a revised and enlarged version of the catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art published by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in 1935. It is based on the original photographs taken for the Exhibition at the time, which include all objects illustrated in the original catalogue (marked *), and in addition works selected by the Exhibition Committee and photographed, but in the end left unillustrated or completely omitted from the catalogue; those images are here reproduced for the first time.

The 1935 Catalogue was compiled by the foremost authorities on Chinese art at the time, both Chinese and European, and when it appeared, it was at the forefront of research. Now, almost a century later, our understanding of Chinese art has substantially changed. We therefore considered a critical revision of the attributions imperative. The attributions and opinions expressed in this catalogue have been made in good faith, following careful consideration of the material available to us at the time of writing. In many cases, lack of direct access to objects has limited the extent of our examination. Accordingly, all attributions should be understood as scholarly opinions rather than statements of fact and may have to be revised should further evidence or technical analysis become available, or direct inspection be possible.

Our updated captions appear above the original catalogue entries. The original catalogue had been arranged by exhibition galleries and display cases; the present publication is organized by medium and date. As ownership of many exhibits has changed, an attempt has been made to list the last known owners or appearance in the art market. Where no owner could be found, ‘formerly’ includes the possibility of hereditary transfer; ‘whereabouts unknown’ signifies that an item definitely changed hands or could not be identified. Romanization of Chinese terms and names follows the Pinyin rather than the Wade–Giles system used in 1935. Sizes are given only where previously they had been missing or incorrect.