Samenvatting: Describes and interprets the spectacular works of art presented in the exhibition lent to 5 American museums by China. Not only describes some of the most important recent archaeological discoveries in China, but provides information about 1500 year Chinese.

Opmerking: "Adapted from text in the exhibition's scholarly catalog, The great bronze age of China." Credits: Published in conjunction with the exhibition 'The Great Bronze Age of China' held in New York, Chicago, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Boston (1980-81).

Inhoud: The beginnings of the Bronze Age: the Erlitou culture period (first half of the second millennium B.C.); Vigorous development: the Zhenzhou phase (the Erligang period) (mid-second millennium B.C.); The spread of Shang culture: the appearance and growth of regional bronze-using cultures (15th-11-th centuries B.C.); A classical period in the bronze art: the High Yinxu phase (Anyang period) (about 1300-about 1030 B.C.); Unrestrained invention: the rise of the western Zhou dynasty (late 11th-early 10th century B.C.); Patterns and interlace: transformation of the bronze at in later western Zhou (late 10th century-771 B.C.); Variety and freshness: new departures in eastern Zhou bronze designs the spring autumn period (770-476 B.C.); Splendor and sophistication: the inlaid bronzes of the warring states period (475-220 B.C.); The waning of the bronze age: the western Han period (206 B.C.-A.D. 8); The terracotta army of the first emperor of Qin (221-206 B.C.).