The Porcelain Thief

The Porcelain Thief PDF Author: Huan Hsu
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0307986314
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 396

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Book Description
A journalist travels throughout mainland China and Taiwan in search of his family’s hidden treasure and comes to understand his ancestry as he never has before. In 1938, when the Japanese arrived in Huan Hsu’s great-great-grandfather Liu’s Yangtze River hometown of Xingang, Liu was forced to bury his valuables, including a vast collection of prized antique porcelain, and undertake a decades-long trek that would splinter the family over thousands of miles. Many years and upheavals later, Hsu, raised in Salt Lake City and armed only with curiosity, moves to China to work in his uncle’s semiconductor chip business. Once there, a conversation with his grandmother, his last living link to dynastic China, ignites a desire to learn more about not only his lost ancestral heirlooms but also porcelain itself. Mastering the language enough to venture into the countryside, Hsu sets out to separate the layers of fact and fiction that have obscured both China and his heritage and finally complete his family’s long march back home. Melding memoir, travelogue, and social and political history, The Porcelain Thief offers an intimate and unforgettable way to understand the complicated events that have defined China over the past two hundred years and provides a revealing, lively perspective on contemporary Chinese society from the point of view of a Chinese American coming to terms with his hyphenated identity.

The Porcelain Thief

The Porcelain Thief PDF Author: Huan Hsu
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0307986314
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 396

Get Book Here

Book Description
A journalist travels throughout mainland China and Taiwan in search of his family’s hidden treasure and comes to understand his ancestry as he never has before. In 1938, when the Japanese arrived in Huan Hsu’s great-great-grandfather Liu’s Yangtze River hometown of Xingang, Liu was forced to bury his valuables, including a vast collection of prized antique porcelain, and undertake a decades-long trek that would splinter the family over thousands of miles. Many years and upheavals later, Hsu, raised in Salt Lake City and armed only with curiosity, moves to China to work in his uncle’s semiconductor chip business. Once there, a conversation with his grandmother, his last living link to dynastic China, ignites a desire to learn more about not only his lost ancestral heirlooms but also porcelain itself. Mastering the language enough to venture into the countryside, Hsu sets out to separate the layers of fact and fiction that have obscured both China and his heritage and finally complete his family’s long march back home. Melding memoir, travelogue, and social and political history, The Porcelain Thief offers an intimate and unforgettable way to understand the complicated events that have defined China over the past two hundred years and provides a revealing, lively perspective on contemporary Chinese society from the point of view of a Chinese American coming to terms with his hyphenated identity.

A Thief's Justice

A Thief's Justice PDF Author: Douglas Skelton
Publisher: Canelo
ISBN: 1804360880
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 430

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Book Description
London, 1716. Revenge is a dish best served ice-cold... ’An immersive, action-packed thriller with intrigue in the air and threats around every corner’ The Herald ’Great fun ... the language is colourful and the action never stops’ Laura Shepherd-Robinson The city is caught in the vice-like grip of a savage winter. Even the Thames has frozen over. But for Jonas Flynt – thief, gambler, killer – the chilling elements are the least of his worries... Justice Geoffrey Dumont has been found dead at the base of St Paul’s cathedral, and a young male sex-worker, Sam Yates, has been taken into custody for the murder. Yates denies all charges, claiming he had received a message to meet the judge at the exact time of death. The young man is a friend of courtesan Belle St Clair, and she asks Flynt to investigate. As Sam endures the horrors of Newgate prison, they must do everything in their power to uncover the truth and save an innocent life, before the bodies begin to pile up. But time is running out. And the gallows are beckoning... A totally enrapturing portrayal of eighteenth-century London, and a rapier-like crime thriller, perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Antonia Hodgson and Ambrose Parry.

Summary of Edmund de Waal's The White Road

Summary of Edmund de Waal's The White Road PDF Author: Everest Media,
Publisher: Everest Media LLC
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I was able to find shards of porcelain in the dirt near the farmer’s house. They were the base of a twelfth-century wine cup, a fine tapering stem holding a jagged bowl, a thumb’s breadth across. It was impossibly thin. #2 The kilns were long gone, but the bricks were used for a shed or pigsty, and the slopes were useful for building into. The bamboo and these long flat grasses were cut for packing finished pots to carry down to the river. #3 The Chinese city of Jingdezhen was the center of porcelain production for the world. It was a beautiful puzzle of a landscape, and somehow people and happenstance combined to make it the center of porcelain production for the world. #4 Porcelain is made of two types of mineral. The first is petunse, or porcelain stone, which provides the flesh of the porcelain. It gives translucency and supplies the hardness of the body. The second is kaolin, or porcelain clay, which gives plasticity.

Identification and Authentication of Chinese Antiques

Identification and Authentication of Chinese Antiques PDF Author: China Antiques
Publisher: DeepLogic
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
This book collects detailed knowledge and techniques on the identification and authentication of various Chinese antiques, including ancient coins, porcelain, bronzes, gems, calligraphy, ancient paintings, etc. The book is very detailed and authentic, providing readers with in-depth analysis of Chinese antiques, so that readers from scratch become proficient experts in the field.

The River Never Left Her

The River Never Left Her PDF Author: Emily Benz
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
ISBN: 139843051X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
In present-day Zürich, an American expat, Emily Benz, buys a set of personal archives at an online auction, setting off an investigation into the life of a British woman raised in the early part of the twentieth century in China. What seemed like an innocuous tin of bonbons sold by a grandson soon turns into a can of worms that can’t be closed again, revealing family dysfunction that stretches back generations, a fairy-tale childhood, four marriages and a liaison. Emily must reconcile the woman’s adult biography with the vivid memoir of China seen through the eyes of a child. This most unexpected memoir moves between China at the turn of the last century, scandal in the high society of 1920s England, and a tenacious widow living in the Switzerland of today.

The White Road

The White Road PDF Author: Edmund de Waal
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374709092
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
An intimate narrative history of porcelain, structured around five journeys through landscapes where porcelain was dreamed about, fired, refined, collected, and coveted. Extraordinary new nonfiction, a gripping blend of history and memoir, by the author of the award-winning and bestselling international sensation, The Hare with the Amber Eyes. In The White Road, bestselling author and artist Edmund de Waal gives us an intimate narrative history of his lifelong obsession with porcelain, or "white gold." A potter who has been working with porcelain for more than forty years, de Waal describes how he set out on five journeys to places where porcelain was dreamed about, refined, collected and coveted-and that would help him understand the clay's mysterious allure. From his studio in London, he starts by travelling to three "white hills"-sites in China, Germany and England that are key to porcelain's creation. But his search eventually takes him around the globe and reveals more than a history of cups and figurines; rather, he is forced to confront some of the darkest moments of twentieth-century history. Part memoir, part history, part detective story, The White Road chronicles a global obsession with alchemy, art, wealth, craft, and purity. In a sweeping yet intimate style that recalls The Hare with the Amber Eyes, de Waal gives us a singular understanding of "the spectrum of porcelain" and the mapping of desire.

The Last of Our Kind

The Last of Our Kind PDF Author: Gerald W. McFarland
Publisher: Sunstone Press
ISBN: 1611394201
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 348

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Book Description
Don Carlos Buenaventura, the protagonist of The Last of Our Kind, is a powerful brujo living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a remote settlement on the edge of Spain’s North American empire. The year is 1706. Comanche war parties are boldly conducting raids nearby, French traders and soldiers are aggressively expanding toward New Mexico from the Great Plains, and agents of the Spanish Inquisition have arrived in search of a brujo suspected of being in Santa Fe. That brujo is Don Carlos, respected citizen under the name of Don Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca, his true identity known only to a small coterie of friends. Given the many dangers that threaten the town, will he be able to bring his powers to bear and still keep his brujo identity secret? When his mortal enemy, a sorcerer with formidable powers, arrives on the scene in the midst of these troubles, how will Don Carlos figure out a way to deal with him? Includes Readers Guide.

The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam

The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam PDF Author: Chris Ewan
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312570828
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Originally published: Great Britain: Long Barn Books, 2007.

The Jewelers' Circular

The Jewelers' Circular PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Clocks and watches
Languages : en
Pages : 1162

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Book Description


The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang

The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang PDF Author: Andrew Lang
Publisher: Namaskar Book
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 3552

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Book Description
Step into a world of enchantment and wonder with "The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang," a collection of timeless tales from the master storyteller himself, Andrew Lang. Prepare to be transported to magical realms where fairies, dragons, and heroes come to life in vivid detail. As Lang's enchanting tales unfold, immerse yourself in a world where anything is possible. From far-off lands to mystical forests, embark on a journey filled with adventure, romance, and discovery as you uncover the secrets of the fairy realm. But amidst the whimsy and wonder, a deeper truth emerges: What if these fairy tales are more than just stories? Prepare to be captivated by Lang's profound insights into the human condition and the timeless lessons that resonate across generations. Are you ready to lose yourself in the magic of Andrew Lang's storytelling? Experience the power of imagination as Lang's captivating narratives capture your heart and mind. Whether you're young or young at heart, these enchanting tales will ignite your imagination and inspire you to believe in the power of dreams. Will you dare to journey into the fairy realm and discover the secrets that lie within? Immerse yourself in the beauty and brilliance of Lang's fairy tales, where each story is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling. Whether you're reading alone or sharing these tales with loved ones, prepare to be transported to a world where magic is real and anything is possible. Don't miss your chance to experience the enchantment of "The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang." Let Lang's timeless tales inspire you to see the world with fresh eyes and an open heart, reminding you that the greatest adventures are often found within the pages of a book. Seize the opportunity to own a piece of literary magic. Purchase "The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang" now and embark on a journey of discovery and delight that will stay with you long after the final page is turned.