China: Empire of Living SymbolsThe origins of Chinese ideographs were not known until 1899, when a scholar went to an apothecary for some medicine made of “dragon bone.” To his surprise, the bone, which had not yet been ground into powder, contained a number of carved inscriptions. Thus began the exploration of the 3000-year-old sources of the written characters still used in China today. In this unparalleled and deeply researched book, Cecilia Lindqvist tells the story of these characters and shows how their shapes and concepts have permeated all of Chinese thought, architecture, art, and culture. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - vpfluke - LibraryThingA creative look at the development and use of Chinese characters, by someone who loves the language and its expression. Lindqvist shows how many of the Chinese character were originallyy written and then evolved. She has an uncanny look at Chinese civilization. Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - saligo - LibraryThingI was extremely taken with this book. The author is honest about the sometimes contested or unclear explanation of some of the characters but she mostly comes up with well researched explanations or ... Read full review
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Bibliographic information
| Title | China: Empire of Living Symbols |
| Author | Cecilia Lindqvist |
| Publisher | Hachette Books, 2009 |
| ISBN | 0786731990, 9780786731992 |
| Length | 448 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Asia / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |