The Cleveland Museum of Art's Chinese art collection is one of the most distinguished in the West, representing the highest level of Chinese artistic accomplishment. From prehistory to today, the Chinese art collection spans more than 5,000 years and embraces a diversity of art forms including jades, bronzes, lacquer, sculpture, paintings, calligraphy, furniture, bamboo carvings, and more. The most outstanding sections of the collection are paintings and ceramics. Not only is the sequence of chronological development reasonably complete, but the collection is also represented by works of international significance. It continues to expand in all directions, taking into consideration the rich traditions as well as the ongoing artistic developments of China.