HundredsofChineseexportpaintingsofCantontradinghousesandshoppingstreetsareinmuseumsandprivatecollectionsthroughouttheworld,andscholarsofartandhistoryhaveoftenquestionedthereliabilityofthesehistoricalpaintings.Inthisillustratedvolume,PaulVanDykeandMariaMokexaminetheseChineseexportpaintingsbymatchingthechangesintheimageswithnewhistoricaldatacollectedfromvariousarchives.Manyfactorypaintingsarereliablehistoricalrecordsintheirownrightandcanbedatedtoasingleyear.Datingimageswithsuchprecisionwasnotpossibleinthepastowingtoinsufficientinformationonthescenes.Thenewfindingsinthisvolumeprovideunprecedentedopportunitiestore-datemanyartworksandprovethatimagesoftheCantonfactoriespaintedoncanvasbyChineseartistsarefarmoretrustworthythanwhatscholarshavebelievedinthepast.