The dramatic art tradition of opera traces its roots to the earliest periods of ancient China. During the Tang Dynasty (618 907), the Emperor Taizong founded an opera school called Liyuan (Pear Garden). Chinese opera reached its pinnacle under the Qing court (1644 1911), giving birth to what is known as Peking Opera. Reproduced for this cover is a piece of beautifully embroidered opera skirt from that era.