Silk is as precious as gold/ Written by Qu Zhiren and Hua Anna, translated by Xu Qiang and others, reviewed by Zhao Feng

Silk is Like Gold is the first catalog of the luxurious silks and embroideries produced in Central Asia and China between the 8th and 15th centuries AD. This catalog originates from the famous exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States in 1998, bringing together 64 treasures from the collections of these two world-class museums. Most of the collection dates back to the Mongolian period and also includes important textiles from the Tang to Ming dynasties. Not only do these fabrics demonstrate the technical sophistication of the time, but the changes in their techniques and patterns also reflect the balance of power between Central Asia and China, which shifted with the rise and fall of different dynasties and the expansion and collapse of empires. The most exquisite products of the royal embroidery and weaving workshops were often given as gifts by emperors and members of the royal family to other rulers, envoys and dignitaries. Luxurious fabrics were also sought after as high-end goods, traveling across Eurasia in unprecedented quantities and becoming a mainstay of international commerce. With the end of the Ming Dynasty's foreign expansion policy after Yongle, the decline of the Silk Road, and the rapid growth of maritime trade, the once-vibrant land economy and cultural exchanges ceased; brave business travelers no longer transported silk between Eurasia and Asia. Craftsmen no longer travel far. But the remains from that wonderful era bear witness to a glorious era when silk was as precious as gold. Full title: Silk as Precious as Gold: Silk Fabrics of Ancient Central Asia and China ISBN: 978-988-237-306-8 Binding: Hardcover Language: Chinese and English bilingual Number of pages: 280 Dimensions: 280 x 210 mm **About the Author** **James CY Watt** Curator Emeritus of the Department of Asian Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA. Born in Hong Kong, he graduated from Oxford University. He studied with Mr. Lin Yangshan, Luo Xianglin and Jao Tsung-I, and was the founding director of the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. **Anne E. Wardwell** Master of Fine Arts, New York University, USA. Textile historian and curator, former director of the Textile Department of the Cleveland Museum of Art, USA. **Reviewer** **Zhao Feng** He is a doctoral tutor at Zhejiang University, Donghua University and Zhejiang Science and Technology University, honorary director of China Silk Museum, and member of the Executive Committee of the International Council of Museums. **translator** Xu Qiang PhD candidate at Donghua University. The research direction is the history of dyeing and weaving in ancient China and the history of dyeing and weaving in ancient Japan.