Celestial Beings and Bird-Men: Human Flight in Chinese Jade

Angus Forsyth's book explores the making of unique objects depicting figural movement through the air in Chinese jade, from the Han Dynasty onwards. It examines the depiction of apsaras, kinnaras, garudas, and anthropomorphized bird headdress ornaments, and shows how these flying figures came to be associated with veneration of the gods and specific devotional practice. The original concept behind flying celestial beings and bird-men originated in India and the Christianized West, via the Silk Road.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 29 October 2020
Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd

Jade figurines depicting human flight are a diverse and expressive form of art, with many different representations of flying men in Chinese jade. Angus Forsyth, a renowned collector of Chinese jade, delves into the creation of unique objects depicting figural movement through the air over a 2000-year period, from the Han Dynasty onwards. One of the distinctive characteristics of Chinese artefacts is that they often lack wings, unlike their Western angelic counterparts. Forsyth explores the depiction of apsaras (flying angels), kinnaras (bird-men), garudas (humanoid birds appearing in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology), and anthropomorphized bird headdress ornaments. He reveals that the original concept behind flying celestial beings and bird-men originated not in China but in India and the Christianized West, via the Silk Road. The book covers a wide range of jade pieces, both small and large, and provides a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Weight: 1508g
Dimension: 207 x 255 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781781300718