Author: Cohen, Michael & William Motley:
Title: Mandarin and Menagerie. Chinese and Japanese Export Ceramic Figures. Volume I: The James E. Sowell Collection.
Description: 2008, (25,4 x 31,5 cm), 304 pp. English text, numerous colour ills., hardcover and dustjacket. Condition Very good. ¶ This book covers the largest and most important collection of Chinese and Japanese export figures currently exisiting in the world. Collected by James E. Sowell of Dallas, Texas, there are over 170 items including over 50 bird figures, a dozen dogs, and a unique pair of leopards possibly made for the Imperial Summer Palace. It includes a history of the european trade with Canton and contains an informative guide to the dating of many of these pieces, with many pictures of the bases of the figures. The book catalogues the James E. Sowell collection in detail, arranging the animals according to approximate zoological taxonomie groups and commenting on some of the scientific knowledge available at the time. Traditional theory says that the Chinese potters were simply copying European species and models but the book proposes that, with a few significant exceptions, the resulting porcelain models are inspired by Chinese fauna. Mainly consisting of Chinese export figures of the 17th, 18th and early 19th century, there are also a few related figures from Japan.

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