Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan [Paperback]

Adam T. Kessler (Author), Adam T. Kellser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997

"In an authoritative chronicle, Kessler presents the cultural history of Mongol nomads. These numerous tribes from the region of China known as the Northern Steppes created resonant objects that vividly allude to complex archaic cultures associated with the fabled Silk Road. Among the archaeological finds of this significant study are ancient textiles and highly refined glazed ceramics, and an amazing golden headdress remains a potent reminder of Chinese dynasties long past". -- Booklist

"Because of the nomadic nature of the 'empires beyond the Great Wall, ' it is through archaeological evidence that scholars construct their complex cultures. Kessier (UCLA) presents here the findings of Chinese work in the field, illustrated with relics from the collections of ten Chinese museums. The works in gold, bronze, ceramic, wood, and textile represent periods from 2000 BCE through the 14th century.... The dry climate lends itself to the preservation of materials, and the finds are truly extraordinary. Clearly the steppe peoples, as they conquered and reconquered China, perpetuated an unbroken interchange of culture. This exquisite book is an exceptional way to begin to understand these interchanges". -- Choice

"A book which is fascinating, thought-provoking, and extremely attractive to look at and handle". -- Royal Asiatic Society

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Kessler elaborates on a rare treasury of relics never before seen in this country, objects now receiving long overdue attention in a touring exhibition put together by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and China's Inner Mongolia Museum. In an authoritative chronicle, Kessler presents the cultural history of Mongol nomads, of which little is known. These numerous tribes from the region of China known as the Northern Steppes created resonant objects that vividly allude to complex archaic cultures associated with the fabled Silk Road. Among the archaeological finds of this significant study are ancient textiles and highly refined glazed ceramics, and an amazing golden headdress remains a potent reminder of Chinese dynasties long past. Alice Joyce --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938644335
• ISBN-13: 978-0938644330
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunning exhibition of little-known Asian art, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan (Paperback)

Opens up an array of artworks known to few in the West (or the East, for that matter), since North-Asian tribal cultures have long been rather stigmatized. Lovingly photographed, with quite breathtaking color reproduction. Informative text. A truly exciting introduction to the arts and archaeological finds of the Asian steppes and "frontier" areas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly insightful!, January 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan (Hardcover)

Thank you for such a wonderfully insightful, beautiful book! It has enhanced my knowledge tremendously of the time period, and is a wonderful addition to my library. I found it to be intelligently written, engaging to the reader, written with a great deal of passion and knowledge. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of the arts. Hopefully, the show this was based on might tour again in the future as I would love the opportunity to view these extraordinary pieces described in the book first hand. Thank you again.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lao's review, February 26, 2001

By 

"hdaveno" (Shoreline WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan (Hardcover)

Although this catalog does not all of the best pieces from the exhibit (most notably absent are the yurts and archery equipment), it does have a good selection of maps ans supporting text for the items that are included. Broken down by time period rather than by object (which for the Nomads of Eurasia and Son of Heaven catalogs proved to be a more useful format) it is nonetheless valuable for its coverage of pieces that have not shown up in any other museum exhibit.