Designs as signs: Decoration and Chinese ceramics: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art

Catalogue of an exhibition at the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 2001. The definition of motifs on Chinese art is one of the most frequently cited ways of defining Chinese culture in Western writing. It is also the primary subject which fascinates visitors to a Chinese art museum. ‘What does it mean’ is the question which most visitors ask, apart from ‘how much is it worth’