This week's Book of the Week was recently awarded the over-all Best Book award at the 2018 PANZ Book Design Awards. New China Eye Witness: Roger Duff, Rewi Alley and the art of museum diplomacy by James Beattie and Richard Bullen (published by Canterbury University Press) documents a group of objects given to the Canterbury Museum by Rewi Alley and uses them to provide insight into the 1956 visit to China of a group of New Zealand cultural notables (including Roger Duff, James Bertram, Evelyn Page, Angus Ross and Ormond Wilson) and the negotiations with the Chinese government needed to circumvent its own ban on the export of antiquities. In the end, seven crates of uncommonly interesting artefacts were shipped to New Zealand. The book includes Roger Duff's diary of the visit, snapshots, illustrations, and plates of a selection of artefacts, as well as Chinese translation by Xiongbo Shi.

>> The book earned designer Aaron Beehre a raft of prizes at the 2018 PANZ Book Design Awards. 

>> How did Canterbury Museum come to acquire the largest collection of Chinese antiquities in New Zealand? 

>> The entire stunning collection can be viewed on-line. 

>> Rewi Alley, the most famous New Zealander in China. 

>> The New Zealand China Friendship Society was founded in 1952 to further the work of Rewi Alley and to help New Zealanders learn about China. 

GIVEAWAY. We have a copy of New China Eye Witness to give away, courtesy of Canterbury University Press. To go in the draw, tell us (books[at]volume[dot]nz) who donated the collection of Chinese antiquities described in the book to the Canterbury Museum. The winner will be drawn on 17.8.18.