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.