QINGQUAN QIANJING, COLUMNIST, TRANSLATOR OF DECLUTTER

Flowers, Blossoms, Pots and Jars: Shen Congwen on Art and Antiques

By Shen Congwen

Most Chinese know Shen Congwen (1902-1988) as one of the country's greatest modern writers. Fewer know him as an expert on antiques, a pursuit he delved into for 40 years after 1949. The book compiles more than 40 of Shen's articles about antiques and Chinese folk culture. It also has more than a hundred photos. "His articles are not rigid and abstruse like other academic studies. They combine the lyrical style of writing with the scientific method," Qingquan Qianjing says.