This major new museum was opened in September 1999, displaying for the first time to the public a significant proportion of the Chinese Imperial Collection at Nanjing. Featuring bronze, gold, jade, pottery, porcelain, lacquer, scholars' objects, painting and embroidery, this book reflects the amazing glories of this extraordinary collection. An active programme of archaeological excavation has immensely added to the wealth of the collection's earliest artifacts, such as the thirty-eight gold articles discovered in 1982 in a cellar at the Nanyaozhuang village, Jiangsu Province - a veritable hoard from the Warring States period. One hundred and seven of the finest pieces in the collection have been selected by Professor Xu Huping, with a brief description and historical assessment of each item. The selection provides an introduction to the greatest art of China, as well as an informative and fascinating commentary on one of China's greatest national collections.