Add free shipping to your order with these great books
Celestial Beings and Bird-Men : Human Flight in Chinese Jade - Angus Forsyth

Celestial Beings and Bird-Men

Human Flight in Chinese Jade

By: Angus Forsyth

Hardcover | 29 January 2020

Sorry, we are not able to source the book you are looking for right now.

We did a search for other books with a similar title, however there were no matches. You can try selecting from a similar category, click on the author's name, or use the search box above to find your book.


Jade figurines depicting human flight are a varied and expressive manifestation of this most prized artistic medium. Angus Forsyth, a prominent collector of Chinese jade, in this book explores the making in the Middle Kingdom (over a 2000-year period, from the Han Dynasty onwards) of unique objects depicting figural movement through the air.

He examines the depiction of apsaras (flying angels), kinnaras (bird-men), garudas (humanoid birds appearing in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology) and finally anthropomorphized bird headdress ornaments. He shows how these flying figures came to be associated with veneration of the gods and specific devotional practice.

Examining a variety of representative objects, none of which has been seen in print before, the author reveals that the original concept behind flying celestial beings and bird-men originated not in China but in India and the Christianized West, via the Silk Road. A distinctive characteristic of Chinese artefacts is that, in contrast to their Western angelic counterparts, they often are wingless. The book discusses small and larger jade pieces alike.

About the Author

Angus Forsyth is an internationally respected collector of, and authority on, Chinese jade. He is also a former president of the Oriental Ceramics Society of Hong Kong.

More in Antiques & Collectables for Ceramics & Glass

Mudlark'd : Hidden Histories from the River Thames - Malcolm Russell
Phrenology Dog : Read Your Dog's Mind! - Brenna Dinon

RRP $16.99

$16.25

The Art of Glass - Antonio Neri

$109.25

Jadite : Identification and Price Guide - JOE KELLER

RRP $62.99

$42.95

32%
OFF