Treatise on Superfluous Things

Description

Temporarily out of stock

ISBN: 9780241799857
Title: Treatise on Superfluous Things
Author: ZHENHENG WEN

The first complete English translation of a classic late Ming Chinese treatise on good taste.

Written in the 17th Century by Chinese scholar Wen Zhenheng, Treatise on Superfluous Things offers a compelling glimpse into the tastes and cultural values of the educated elite in late Ming China. This guide to everyday items – from window frames and old master paintings to caged birds, fruits, and vegetables – is the most complete surviving account of the material and cultural tastes of the era in one of China’s largest and richest cities. It is also a guide to finding joy, pleasure and harmony in the objects all around us every day.

Format: Paperback
Publication date: 27/08/2026
Pages: 192
Temporarily out of stock