1. The Origins of Chinese Civilization: Neolithic Period to the Western Zhou Dynasty. Animal and Human Imagery in Bronze Vessels -- 2. Philosophical Foundations: The Eastern Zhou Period -- 3. The Creation of the Bureaucratic Empire: The Qin and Han Dynasties -- 4. Buddhism, Aristocracy, and Alien Rulers: The Age of Division. Early Buddhist Art -- 5. A Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty -- 6. Shifting South: The Song Dynasty. Landscape Painting -- 7. Alien Rule: The Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties. Drama and the Performing Arts -- 8. The Limits of Autocracy: The Ming Dynasty. The Kilns at Jingdezhen -- 9. Manchus and Imperialism: The Qing Dynasty. Working for a Living -- 10. Taking Action: The Early Twentieth Century. Modern Chinese Painting -- 11. Radical Reunification: The People's Republic.

Contents: Introduction / Arnold Toynbee -- Signs and meanings: Chinese writing through four millenia / E. Glahn -- The middle kingdom: Chinese politics and society from the Bronze Age to the Manchus / D.C. Twichett -- Beyond the wall: China's relations with her northern neighbors / Owen Lattimore -- The Path to wisdom: Chinese philosophy and religion / Wing Tsit-chan -- The empirical tradition: science and technology in China / S. Nakayama -- Worlds and language: the Chinese literary tradition / James J.Y. Liu -- Chinese culture overseas: Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Tibet / Zenryu Tsukamoto -- Feudal Japan: Politics and society from the eighth century to 1868 / Charles D. Sheldon -- Cult and Creed: Religion in Japan before the Meiji / Carmen Blacker -- A literature of the court and people: Japanese poetry, drama and the novel before the Meiji / Donald Keene -- Europe goes East: the first impact of the West on China and Japan / Paul A. Cohen -- A new role for Japan: the Meiji revolution and its sequel / Y. Toriumi -- Rebellion, reform, and revolution: China, Korea and Vietnam in the modern world / Jean Chesneaux -- Chronology.

***Graphic resource: Chinese calligraphy, bronzes, rubbings, scientific instruments, Chinese mathematics, astronomy, Christian century in Japan, Jesuits, Matteo Ricci, Zheng He, credential tablets, maps, history of writing, popular religion, gods, door-gods, Chong Kui, Guan Yu, and many other details. An overlooked item, with many interesting graphics, including a page from the Ricci-Ruggieri Portuguese-Chinese dictionary.