Art continues to prove itself a sound, not to mention exhilarating and satisfying investment. "The International Art Markets" shows like no other book the huge scope for diversification within that market. Despite economic uncertainty, in just over two years average prices in the top 10 per cent of the art market have risen by over 150 per cent in real US dollar terms. In some art market sectors the rise has been longer and almost as dramatic - American paintings have risen seven times since 1994 and Chinese ceramics four times in the last nine years. In 43 chapters, written by 58 mostly locally-based experts from the art trade, it covers 21 countries from Europe, 12 from Asia and Australasia, five from South America, four from the Middle East and Africa, and two from North America.It deliberately gives equal weighting to each art market, despite the predominance of the USA and Britain. Each chapter provides the following essential information you need to understand the market in each country: art market history including taste, fashion, value, artists, art types, subjects, sales, prices and records; market structure and performance including auctioneers, dealers, trade associations, museums, exhibitions, fairs, training and education; and tax and regulation. Comprehensive, informed and packed with valuable information, "The International Art Markets" will be the first point of reference for art collectors and investors and anyone who wants to understand the enormous breadth and complexity of the world's art markets.