Battles on Satin Sheets. Holiness, Eros, and Flesh in China

China has demonstrated a remarkable attitude towards sexual practices — they can bring not only physical and aesthetic pleasure but also spiritual benefits, inner purification, and even enlightenment. They can heal diseases or cause them, extend life for many years, and even make a person 'immortal'. This book collects the most important erotic treatises of traditional China, as well as studies compiled by the renowned Russian sinologist, Professor Alexei Maslov. Using rare classical Chinese texts from the 3rd to the 18th centuries as examples, it examines the special role of sexual practices in spiritual and everyday life, their role in the broader context of cultures, politics, and religion, and their connection to Taoist and Buddhist concepts. The second edition offers not only a concise introduction to the topic of Chinese eroticology and commentary on each treatise but is also accompanied by archival images, illustrations, and photos of rare museum exhibits.