Dangerous Women: Warriors, Grannies and Geishas of the Ming
Softcover
1999 · Lanham, Maryland
by Cass, Victoria
Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 1999. Softcover. NF. Color-illus. glossy wraps with black top/bottom borders. 156 pp. with bw frontis; bw illus. numbered by chapter. Grannies, geishas, warriors, mystics, recluses, and predators - these are the dangerous women of traditional China. Through her exploration of the myth and history of the Ming, Victoria B. Cass brings their world brilliantly to life. In a culture that is resoundingly patriarchal, these women are a vivid counterpoint. Violating state-sponsored orthodoxies, the granny mocks and mimics, the geisha charms with her intellect, the warrior rules in icy superiority. Using new and freshly interpreted sources, the author leads us confidently into this surprising world, bolstering her erudite and engaging text with stunning black and white art of the period. Of interest to students of Chinese history and particularly to those studying the feminine in late Imperial China. (Inventory #: 155693)