New Publications

The National Palace Museum Southern Branch and Volunteer Services, Chou Kung-shin
Lotus in Water: Overview of the Vietnamese Green Flower Porcelain Exhibition, WENG Yu-WEN
The Role of Hoi An, Vietnam in Asia Maritime Exchanges, Speaker: Seiichi KIKUCHI, organized by WANG, Shu-Chin
Multitude of Fortuitous Symbols: Appreciation of "Fortuitous Collection" by Giuseppe Castiglione, Qing Dynasty, LIN lina
From "Draft of Ming History" to "Ming History": On Emperor Yongzheng's Cultural Efforts to Demonstrate Rightful Sovereignty, HSU Yuan-Ting
World of Strings: Overview of the Violin, HSIEH Pei-wen
Writing and Times of the "Imperial Collection of Four", WU Che-fu
Heavenly Masterpiece: The Northern Wei Period "Sitting Buddha" in the NPM Collection, and History of Its Sculpting, WANG Chung-Cheng
Marks of Time: Examples on Dating of Stone Text Rubbings in NPM Collection, WANG Ching-Shung
Martin Schnell, Lacquerer to the Saxon Court, and His Connection to East Asia, Monika KOPPLIN, translator: WANG Ching-ling
The Ceramics Collection of Augustus the Strong, and Creation of Meissen Porcelain, Speaker: Eva Strober, organized by HUANG Lan-yin
Appreciation of Drama, Paintings and the "Journey to the West", WU Sung-Feng

Professor Chen Jie-Xian, the author of this book, is a professor of the National Taiwan University Department of History, specializing in Qing Dynasty History and Documentary Records, and has conducted extremely thorough studies of the Emperor Yongzheng.  Now he is letting the historical materials speak for themselves, and presenting the true life of the Emperor Yongzheng that quite different from the image portrayed in unofficial histories.  Do you want to learn about the legendary life of the Emperor Yongzheng?  We highly recommend this book!

The special exhibition "Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times" presented by the National Palace Museum represents a landmark in cross-strait cultural exchanges, and is also an important event for the Qing History academia and international museums collecting Chinese art.  With collaboration by Qing history experts on both sides of the strait and cooperation between the staffs of both the National Palace Museum and the Beijing Palace Museum, members of the public will now be able to see the full glory of the Emperor Yongzheng and his times.  A total of 246 items will be displayed, and each is a rare and invaluable historical artifact.  This Illustrated Catalogue is presented with the same care and reverence with which the participating museums have organized the Exhibition, and is a wonderful reference that must not be missing from the bookshelves of any lover of history and art!

"The National Palace Museum in Photographs – New Edition", the masterpiece written and compiled by the best talents within the National Palace Museum team and re-edited and reprinted with no costs spared, will soon be available to the general public!  It offers a comprehensive description of the collection and historical background of the National Palace Museum, and the innovative, lively layout even better portrays the glory of these national treasures.  Comprising of 255 pages, it will be an artistic feast that amazes every reader!

This is the literary masterpiece that encapsulated the life's work of Dr. Peter Chang, former Deputy Director of the National Palace Museum.  Printed in two volumes, these Essays provide detailed and insightful description and analysis of editions and background to documents and rare books in the National Palace Museum collection.  Dr. Chang is a greatly revered expert on the studies of editions and biographies, both in Taiwan and overseas, and has been mentor to countless scholars now shining in the literary arena.  It is particularly significant for the National Palace Museum and the Library Association of the Republic of China to jointly reprint these Essays now, when one regrets that the present trend for pursuit of new scientific knowledge by young students unfortunately results in the study of editions and biographies being overlooked.

This compilation was edited by Mr. Tan Dan-Jong, and was first published in 1959.  Printed in single sheet format, it includes selected patterns from bronzes in the National Palace Museum collection, ranging from the Yin, Shang and early Zhou periods, to the Middle-Zhou and the Warring Kingdoms periods.  Whether realistic or abstract, these patterns reflect the balance of the "yin" and "yang" and changes of natural rhythms, and may be either full-bodied, solemn, or fine and delicate.  This collection fully demonstrates the vivacious, creative and elegant facets of Chinese art and craft, and is now reprinted for enjoyment of modern readers.

Historical characters from the legendary Battle of Red Cliff and the intriguing drama of that period in history continue to be retold to this day, and have inspired a large number of brilliant literary and artistic creations that are valuable assets to posterity.  The National Palace Museum now presents documentary materials and works relating to characters and events before and after the Battle of the Red Cliff, together with paintings, calligraphy, novels, dramas and illustrations inspired by the Battle, taking readers back to those ancient times.

This book presents 135 selected items of Longquan celadon from the Ming Dynasty and 20 items from the Song Dynasty, with a large quantity of other supporting and fascinating documentation from the kilns at the time.  The contents provide a background to recent new archaeological discoveries, as well as offer a new direction for thought regarding research in Ming Dynasty imperial system for use of porcelain.  Elegantly printed, this volume will please the aesthetics of readers as well as the amazing celadon themselves.

Silk tapestry is an art that has almost been lost in recent times, and very few tapestries still remain today.  The National Palace Museum holds approximately 300 sets of embroidered tapestries in its collection, and amongst them the silk tapestries are particularly outstanding and unique.  Silk tapestries from the Sung Dynasty specialize in depicting life sketches of birds and flowers, or other subjects symbolizing fortuity and festivity, and are particularly beautiful.  For this exhibition, the Museum has particularly magnified views of the "warp" and "weft" threads of each tapestry, so that the viewers can marvel at the incredible skill of the weavers.

The remarkable "Buddhist images" collected by Mr. Peng Kai-dong have gradually become part of the collection of the National Palace Museum since 1996 by purchase and by donation.  Mr. Peng sadly passed away in 2006, and in his will he again donated 48 gold and bronze Buddhist sculptures to the National Palace Museum.  The National Palace Museum has organized this Exhibition and this book in memory of the kindness of Mr. Peng.