Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgments; 1. The origins of Chinese civilization: Neolithic period to the Western Zhou dynasty (animal and human imagery in bronze vessels); 2. Philosophical foundations: the Eastern Zhou period; 3. The creation of the bureaucratic empire: the Qin and Han dynasties; 4. Buddhism, aristocracy, and alien rulers: the age of division (early Buddhist art); 5. A cosmopolitan empire: the Tang dynasty; 6. Shifting south: the Song dynasty (landscape painting); 7. Alien rule: the Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties (drama and the performing arts); 8. The limits of autocracy: the Ming dynasty (the kilns at Jingdezhen); 9. Manchus and imperialism: the Qing dynasty (working for a living); 10. Taking action: the early twentieth century (modern Chinese painting); 11. Radical reunification: the People's Republic (the cult of Mao); 12. Opening to the world: China since 1976 (Tibet); Epilogue; Chronology. sakriti opis