Many of the finest objects of the Western Han dynasty have been excavated from the tombs of kings, who administered local provinces on behalf of the emperors. Allison R. Miller paints a new picture of elite art production by revealing the contributions of the kings to Western Han artistic culture.
Finally, a book that takes seriously the royal courts of the Western Han as sites of innovation. Miller marshals her impressive art-historical and archaeological skills to zoom in on concrete aspects of a rich record of materiality created by the kings and their artisans. This book is refreshing in its attention to local contexts and initiatives, and in its refusal to assume that the imperial court at Chang'an was the measure of all things.
