Dream of the Red Chamber is one of China's four great classical novels. Although the plot centers around a love story involving Jia Baoyu, the carefree adolescent male heir of the family, and his two girl-cousins, the theme of the novel is actually about the rise and fall of the Jia clan, which is a microcosm of the late Chinese feudal society.
Dream of the Red Chamber describes in detail the daily reality of the Rongguo House and the Ningguo House who reside in two large, adjacent family compounds in the capital. Their ancestors were made Dukes and given imperial titles. The two houses are among the most illustrious families in the city. One of the clan's offspring is made a Royal Consort, and the lush landscaped Grand View Garden is built to receive her visit. The novel describes the Jia clan's wealth and influence in great naturalistic detail. Eventually the Jia clan falls into disfavor with the Emperor, and their mansions are raided and confiscated.
Written just before the onset of China's 19th-century decline, Dream of the Red Chamber presents a rich social tapestry and a pervading philosophical theme. The pages of the novel make up a veritable encyclopedia of Chinese life, from the making of tea with last year's melted snow, to the eating of crabs, the performing of lyrical opera, and the writing of classical verse in every possible detail. To offset the large cast of upper-class characters, there is also a wonderful assortment of low-life personalities, old village dames, garrulous matrons, drunken retainers, martial artists, sing-song girls, and theatrical performers. The novel touches on the lives of over 400 characters and depicts the variety of human nature.
This album contains a collection of paintings made by Huang Shanshou, a well-known Chinese artist during the late Qing Dynasty. These paintings cover a wide range of subjects ranging from scenes, figures to events in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
Yang, Chang: - About Huang ShanshouHuang Shanshou was a well-known Chinese artist in the late Qing Dynasty. He was born in 1855 in Wujin of today's Jiangsu province of China. He lived in poverty during his childhood and devoted himself to painting and calligraphy. He was called by the imperial court to be an appraiser of painting and calligraphy works and teach students. When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, he moved to Shanghai and made a living by selling his paintings. He died in 1919 at the age of 64.Huang Shanshou was good at both painting and calligraphy. Traditional Chinese painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black ink or colored pigments. As with calligraphy, the most popular materials on which paintings are made are paper and silk. The finished work can be mounted on scrolls, such as hanging scrolls or handscrolls.Huang Shanshou painted a vast variety of subjects ranging from figures, mountains and rivers, flowers and birds, and animals and insects. He vividly depicted the figures and events from the novel Dream of the Red Chamber with detailed brushstrokes. Huang Shanshou's paintings of Dream of the Red Chamber are highly valued by collectors. Therefore, this album of paintings by Huang Shanshou is highly collectible.About Oriental Treasures Oriental Treasures is a US-based organization, specialized in artefacts preservation, restoration, display, appraisal, and trading. It currently operates two museums in China through its affiliates. Oriental Treasures manages a massive collection of cultural relics, artifacts, jade sculptures, paintings, frescos and manuscripts. Many collectibles from various dynasties throughout 5000 years of Chinese history have rarely been seen by collectors and artifact experts before until now, and they hold significant historical, cultural, and archeological values.The exhibits in the two museums are just a small portion of the massive collection we have. Many more treasures are still well preserved and will be unlocked gradually.
