To accompany and record this remarkable exhibition, the Royal Academy will publish a sumptuously illustrated catalogue containing full-colour reproductions and scholarly entries for all exhibits. An incisive series of essays by leading experts - among them Jessica Rawson, Warden of Merton College, Oxford; Regina Krahl, independent scholar; Freda Murck, Professor of Art History at Beijing University; and Evelyn Rawski, Professor of Chinese History at the University of Pittsburgh - will explore the many fascinating themes that link these artistic and cultural treasures, describing the complex rituals, intriguing personalities and vivid colours of the society that created them. Rich in new and unpublished material, this magnificent book will be a landmark in Chinese studies.