Tales from the Land of Dragons: 1000 Years of Chinese Painting, by Wu Tung

Ancient China nurtured the world's oldest continuous tradition of painting on silk and paper, with brushwork much influenced by trends in the art of calligraphy. This volume brings together 153 items from the unique collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, ranging from the Han to the Yuan Dynasty, many of which treat Buddhist and Daoist subjects. Each image is accompanied by commentary on the painting's content; an introduction describes the art form's techniques, cultural context and stylistic development.