This is an epic historical novel series that views Chinese civilization through its most representative artifacts. Artifacts take center stage across five thousand years of Chinese history, tracing the path of the past: through the eyes of objects, we witness the vicissitudes of history.
The series is planned as ten volumes, spanning the grand arc of Chinese civilization from its earliest beginnings to the end of imperial rule. Each volume focuses on a major dynasty or historical period, and each chapter takes a distinctive artifact from that era as its “narrative eye.” Readers will inhabit these silent witnesses: from bronze ritual vessels on sacrificial altars to a jade pendant in the women’s quarters of the palace; from an arrowhead amid the fires of the frontier to a piece of porcelain aboard an ocean-going ship; from a scholar’s writing brush to a coded message that changes the course of a battle. These silent witnesses cross the boundaries of time and space, looking on as dynasties rise and fall, heroes clash, beauties grow old, cultures intermingle, and ordinary people experience joy and sorrow. Live through the moments that decide the course of history, and feel its warmth, sounds, scents, and textures.
