Introduction—The Distinctive History of Chinese Design

Abstract

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There is a continuity in the history of China that is lacking in other parts of the world. Dynasties have risen and fallen, and there have been periods of major conflict and disunity. But certain elements of a Chinese cultural ‘gene’ have underlain significant aspects of development and of design history. Written sources allow analysis of philosophical approaches to design and of the transformation of physical resources into objects for human use over a period of 3000 years. For all but the last 400 of those China was largely isolated from other world regions and civilisations, charting a rather different path of cultural development. Value was often placed on small scale objects, and artefacts intended for ritual uses reduced in significance from an early date. This chapter outlines the broad elements of these distinguishing features of Chinese design history.