With dozens of detailed color photographs and readable text, this Chinese art and culture book is an excellent introduction to this treasured craft. Chinese ceramics, a form of fine art dating back to the primitive days, range from construction materials such as bricks and tiles, hand-built pottery vessels fired in bonfires or kilns, to the sophisticated porcelain wares made for the imperial court. The technique of making ceramics saw its heyday in the Tang and Song dynasties. and continued its development into a highly sophisticated form during the Qing dynasty, with multiple varieties, refined craftwork and diversified shapes and patterns. It gradually became the key commodity in China's export trade and gained so much popularity all over the world that it has become known by the name of its motherland--china.