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Acknowledgements The editors would first like to thank the Arts and
Humanities Research Council (AHRC) of Great Britain for
supporting the research project into early Ming courts and
their global connections which was the starting point for this
volume. Their support has not only enabled us to work
together, but to bring together this august group of scholars
of Ming China’s culture and history. The AHRC has also
supported the project by making a film promoting the bp
exhibition Ming: 50 years that changed China, publicising the
research at other conferences and on their website and using
it as an example of bringing together an international team
of museum professionals, academics and researchers. The
generous sponsorship of the James P. Geiss Foundation, Sir
Percival David Foundation, the John Fell Fund, Giuseppe
Eskenazi and Xining Group is equally reflected in the
quality of production of this volume.
Grateful thanks are due to Wenyuan Xin who has
worked so hard on the picture research for the 350 images in
this volume, and who has been thoroughly involved with the
production of this book from its inception to realisation. Her
accurate credit lines may be relied on for a whole generation
of researchers to come. Nina Shandloff and Sarah Faulks are
to be thanked for the sensitive copyediting, design and
production of the essays. Maps were made by Paul
Goodhead and Craig Williams.
We would like to thank our three peer reviewers,
Professor Shane McCausland, Professor Anne Gerritsen
and Dr Elizabeth Lambourn. Their comments produced
many useful insights into the texts and raised new questions
for all the authors.
There are many people at the Museum to thank, and we
are grateful to everyone involved, especially Jonathan Ould
for the 3D design and Paul Goodhead for the graphic design
of the exhibition.
Jessica Harrison-Hall would particularly like to thank the
team that keeps all of these projects afloat, especially Martin
Keady and Helen Valuks.

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