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That the late Tang and Song form a watershed in Chinese history is an idea that needs no introduction in these pages. It has won the general acceptance of scholars of the most varying historical (and political) persuasions. New political institutions, including a sophisticated bureaucracy staffed by officials chosen for their ability; a proliferation of cities and towns, as well as the markets to support them; the largest standing army seen anywhere in the world to that time; a brilliant reformulation of the Confucian tradition with profound effects not only on the elite but on the population at large: the magnitude of these and other changes is undeniable.

Chapter 1 takes up the appearance and evolution of early graphics in China. We introduce some of the first surviving Chinese efforts to portray technical subjects and the context out of which they arose. In particular, we shall direct our attention to the emergence of certain ideas – a preference for generality over specificity, great emphasis on the moral and persuasive power of pictures – that had an enduring influence on the role illustrations later came to play not only in the graphic arts and in the illustration of technology but also in Chinese culture generally. In this chapter, we also pay special attention to the unique importance of early illustrations of farming and clothmaking in China.

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