Imperial Tombs in Tang China, 618-907

Download or read book Imperial Tombs in Tang China, 618-907 written by Tonia Eckfeld and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-09-20 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intellectually and visually stimulating, this important landmark book looks at the religious, political, social and artistic significance of the Imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It traces the evolutionary development of the most elaborately beautiful imperial tombs to examine fundamental issues on death and the afterlife in one of the world's most sophisticated civilizations. Selected tombs are presented in terms of their structure, artistic programs and their purposes. The author sets the tombs in the context of Chinese attitudes towards the afterlife, the politics of mausoleum architecture, and the artistic vocabulary which was becoming the mainstream of Chinese civilization.