The 5 Happinesses: Symbolism in Chinese Popular Art - 1973

"It was a happy thought to make available to the English speaking world the reflections of a great French scholar on the symbols and decorations that appear on objects of Chinese art. These objects have long accumulated in our homes and museums - ever since the first American ship, the Empress of China, landed at Canton in 1784. Though we have learned to price them as ornaments, we too often gloss over their inner meanings… The higher reaches of our thinking cannot easily be put into words. Yet understanding is enhanced by the use of signs and symbols. What is important then is not the objects themselves, but what their decorations suggest. Symbols point to meanings beyond visible forms: they are shorthand for further comprehension. Through them we get glimpses into the mentality of people who lived for millenniums under different skies." The 5 Happinesses: Symbolism in Chinese Popular Art - Edouard Chavannes Translated, annotated, and Illustrated by Elaine Spaulding Atwood First English edition, published 1973, John Weatherhill Inc., Tokyo Approx 7.5 x 10.5 inches. 153pp. Old price sticker discoloration on front cover cloth, upper right (see photo). Book is in otherwise good condition. Beautifully illustrated patterns inside this guide to symbolism in Chinese art.