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Chinese Art Vocabulary
Yangshao Culture
Shang Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Period of Disunity
Northern Song Period
Liao Dynasty
Southern Song Period
Korean Art
Three Kingdoms Period
Unified Silla Kingdom
KoryoDynasty
EARLY CHINA AND KOREA
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Chinese ArtConfucianism
School of thought founded by Confucius and his disciple Mencius (Mengzi) stressing social responsibility and order. The ideal social order is personified by the junzi ( “superior person“) who possesses ren (“human-heartedness”). Anyone can become a junzi by cultivating virtues such as empathy, pursuit of morality and justice, and respect for tradition.
Daoism
Philosophy arising from the metaphysical teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi stressing an intuitive awareness and harmony with nature. The Dao is the “universal path“ where strength comes from flexibility and inaction. It stresses the cultivation of individuals, often in reclusion.
Clustered brackets
A system of cantilevering a roof to allow for broad overhang of eaves using beams, lintels, struts, purlins, and rafters, all interlocking without mortar or glue.
Bays
Spaces between supporting columns in architecture.
Yangshao Culture
The prehistoric Yangshao culture located along the Yellow River in northeastern China.
Its major artistic form was Earthenware pottery.
Yangshao Culture vases
from Gansu Province, China
mid-third millennium B.C.E.
Earthenware is fired at low temperatures in open pits or simple kilns and remains soft and porous, allowing liquids to seep through.
Stoneware is fired at a much higher temperature in a kiln, and has a stonelike hardness and density.
Potters of the Yangshao Culture produced fine decorated earthenware bowls in the 4th millennium BCE, prior to the invention of the potter's wheel.
Techniques for decorating earthenware and stoneware in early China relied on changes made to the piece during firing.
Decoration on Yangshao pottery included zigzags, lozenges, and spirals
Shang Dynasty
Guang
probably from Anyang, China
Shang dynasty12th or 11th century BCE. bronze6 1/2 in. high
Shang dynasty bronzes used animal forms probably connected with the world of spirits.
Bronze ritual vessels were most characteristic of the Shang period.
Standing figurefrom Sanxingdui, Chinaca. 1200–1050 B.C.E.bronze8 ft. 5 in. high, including base
Types of objects found in tombs of Shang rulers and those of Sanxingdui and the material from which they were made.
bronze vessels
Elephant tusks and an ivory beaker inlaid with turquoise
jade (nephrite) objects
Turtle shells and animals bones inscribed in the earliest form of the Chinese language
lacquer and gold objects
Bronze statues
Zhou DynastyThe Zhou dynasty was among the longest in Chinese history.
Bi disk with dragons
from Jincun(?), China
Eastern Zhou dynastyfourth to third century B.C.E. Nephrite6 1/2 in. diameter
When used in burials, the Bi is placed under the head or heart of the deceased, to conduct the “hun” soul to heaven
While all theories presented to date are speculative, we can forward one based upon the Warring States text Zhou li (Rites of Zhou), that "bi" are thought to represent symbols of heaven and were used in ancient rituals together with square tubes (cong) symbolizing the earth. "To worship heaven with a bi" explains their importance and use. "Bi" also symbolize status of high social rank and sheds light on why many carved jades have been found in Zhou royal tombs.
Among the most common finds in tombs during the Zhou dynasty are bi disks
Qin Dynasty
Army of the First Emperor of Qin in pits next to his burial moundLintong, ChinaQin dynastyca. 210 B.C.E.painted terracottaaverage figure 5 ft. 10 7/8 in. high.
In addition to his work on the Great Wall, the Qin ruler Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China, is remembered in art history for the army of life-sized ceramic and bronze warriors and horses he commissioned for his tomb
What was found in excavations around the tomb mound of Emperor Shi Huangdi at Shaanxi?
A vast underground funerary palace filled with more than 6000 life-size painted terracotta figures of soldiers and horses, as well as bronze horses and chariots.
Han DynastyHan ancestral shrines documented the emergence of private, non-aristocratic families as patrons of religious and mythological art.
The Archer Yi? and Reception in a Mansion
Jiaxiang, China
Han Dynastyca.147-168 C.E.rubbing of a stone relief3 x 5 ft..
Stylistic characteristics of Han reliefs
Scenes are separated into horizontal courses each with its own groundline.
Slightly twisted perspective, giving a flat appearance with no depth of space.
Strong silhouettes with a mix of curvilinear and angular forms.
Funeral Banner from Tomb 1Mawangdui, ChinaHan Dynastyca.168 B.C.E.painted silk6 ft. 8 3/4 in. x 3 ft. 1/4 in.
The Silk Road The overland route that brought
silk from China to Rome and other
fine goods (and ideas, like
Buddhism) along the way;
a network of caravan tracts across
Central Asia linking it to the
Mediterranean world. Buddhism
was brought to China from India in
the first century BCE.
Model of a house
Han dynastyfirst century CEPainted earthenware4 ft. 4 in. high
Chinese raised-beam construction
Period of Disunity
Shakyamuni BuddhaFrom Hebei ProvincePeriod of Disunity338gilded bronze1 ft. 3 1/2 in. high
Three stylistic features, derived from Gandharan prototypes, that occur in the earliest Chinese image of the Buddha
The ushnisha and the cross-legged position.
The flat, relief-like handling of the robe’s folds.
The dhyana (meditation) mudra, which is actually misrepresented here, with the hands facing the stomach instead of the viewer.
Buddhism and Buddhist images became important in China during the Period of Disunity
Gu Kaizhi
Lady Feng and the Bear, detail of Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies
Period of Disunitylate fourth centuryhandscroll, ink and colors on silkentire scroll 9 3/4 in. X 11 ft. 4 1/2 in.
Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna
from Hebei Province
Northern Wei dynasty518Gilded bronze10 1/4 in. high
The earliest extant precisely datable Chinese Buddhist image is a gilded bronze statuette of Shakyamuni Buddha
Tang Dynasty
Worldly and dignified typifies the Tang court and the art it commissioned.
Drawing of East Main Hall
Foguang Si
Mount Wutai, China
Tang dynastyca. 857
Vairocana Buddha, disciples, and bodhisattvasFengxian Temple, Longmen Caves, Luoyang, ChinaTang dynastycompleted 675LimestoneBuddha 44 ft. high.
The Vairocana Buddha is massive in size (44 feet tall), but in addition, is carved in the round with a geometric regularity of contour and smoothness of planes to emphasize the volume of the figure, as opposed to the flatter, more relief-like carving of the Zhao Shakyamuni Buddha.
Vairocana Buddha, disciples, and bodhisattvas
Fengxian Temple, Longmen Caves, Luoyang, China
Tang dynastycompleted 675LimestoneBuddha 44 ft. high.
Vairocana Buddha, disciples, and bodhisattvas
Fengxian Temple, Longmen Caves, Luoyang, China
Tang dynastycompleted 675LimestoneBuddha 44 ft. high.
Tang dynasty artists and craftspeople taught visitors from Korea and Japan, and some traveled abroad.
Unlike Egyptian and Greek architecture, Chinese architecture had roofs with curving silhouettes and were constructed differently.Builders laid beams between columns, decreasing the length of the beams as the structure rose. The beams supported vertical struts, which supported higher beams and eventually the purlins running the length of the building. The purlins carry the roof’s sloping rafters, which could be straight or curved.
Materials Wood (with lacquer), marble, and tiled roofs.Colors favoredRed, black, yellow, and white.Roof line favoredCurved, with overhanging eaves.
Type of perspective was used;Central, with objects that recede into space but do not converge onto one single vanishing point.
Paradise of AmitabhaCave 172, Dunhuang, ChinaTang Dynastymid 8th centurywall paintingwall approximately 10 feet high
Each figure exists in an undefined space.Importance is represented by size.The emphasis is on line drawing and flat colored washes, with simple shading to suggest volume.
attributed to Yan LibenEmperor Xuan and attendants, detail of The Thirteen EmperorsTang dynastyca. 650handscroll, ink and colors on silkdetail: 1 ft. 8 1/4 in. x 1 ft. 5 1/2 in. ; entire scroll, 17 ft. 5 in. long
The painting The Thirteen Emperors is attributed to Yan Liben
Palace ladies, detail of a wall painting in the tomb of Princess YongtaiQianxian, ChinaTang dynasty706detail 5 ft. 10 in. high
Devices used to give a sense of depth and space to the composition.
Paired figures facing into and out of the space of the picture.The figures are grouped in an oval with intervals that suggest a common ground plane.
HorseTang Dynasty8th to 9th century C.E.20 in. highglazed earthenware
Types of figurines commonly found in Tang tombs:
Chinese people (such as First Emperor of Qin’s army).
Foreigners.
Fantastic creatures.
Domestic animals.
Neighing Horse
Tang Dynasty8th to 9th century C.E.20 in. highglazed earthenware
Northern Song Period
Fan KuanTravelers Among Mountains and StreamsNorthern Song Periodearly 11th centuryhanging scroll, ink, and colors on silk6 ft. 7 1/4 in. x 3 ft. 4 1/4 in.
Stylistic characteristics
Shifting perspective where some objects are represented from a level ground and others from an oblique perspective.
Humans are dwarfed by overwhelming nature.
Distance is represented with smaller, paler brush markes and unrepresented space (in front of the mountain).
Shifting perspective is most characteristic in the paintings of the northern Song artist Fan Kuan.
Fan Kuan
Travelers Among Mountains and Streams
Northern Song Periodearly 11th centuryhanging scroll, ink, and colors on silk6 ft. 7 1/4 in. x 3 ft. 4 1/4 in.
A pioneer of Chinese landscape painting during the Period of Disunity was Fan Kuan
The six canons of Chinese painting include responding to things, depicting their forms and dividing and planning, positioning and arranging, but not making objects appear still and persons appear in motion
Scholars praised landscape Song dynasty painter Fan Kuan as a master of light, shade, and texture
Attributed to HuizongAuspicious CranesNorthern Song period1112section of a handscroll, ink and colors on silk1 ft. 8 1/8 in. X 4 ft. 6 3/8 in.
Calligraphy has been highly valued throughout China’s history and was required training for court painters. Chinese painting valued care with and variety of brushstrokes for both drawing and shading.
When Huizong reorganized the imperial painting academy, he required the study of poetry as part of the official training of court painters.
Meiping vase
from Xiuwi, China
Northern Song period12th centurystoneware, Cizhou type, with sgraffito decoration 1 ft. 7 1/2 in. high
Chinese potters applied slip to earthenware and stoneware vessels by painting, pouring, and dripping on a clay body not yet fully dried.
Meiping vase
Northern Song period 960-1127 C.E.Stoneware, Cizhou type with sgraffito decoration
Liao Dynasty
Foguang Si PagodaYingxian, ChinaLiao Dynasty1056 C.E.
A pagoda, or tower of winged eaves, was earliest used for housing relics and providing devotion to the Buddha, but later served other functions. The form developed from the tall towers of Indian temples and stupas.
Foguang Si Pagoda
Yingxian, China
Liao Dynasty1056 C.E.
Southern Song Period
Ma YuanOn a Mountain Path in SpringSouthern Song periodearly 13th centuryalbum leaf, ink and colors on silk10 3/4 in. x 17 in.
Elements typical of Southern Song landscape painting:Landscape reduced to a few elements that carefully frame a figure.Foreground, middle ground, and background arranged vertically.Abbreviated, expressive calligraphy-inspired ink painting, with a variety of wet and dry brush strokes.
The Chinese interest in landscape was most strongly influenced by Daoist nature cults and poetic themes
Liang KaiSixth Chan Patriarch Chopping BambooSouthern Song periodearly 13th centuryhanging scroll, ink on paper2 ft. 5 1/4 in. high
In Chan thought, the performance of even mundane tasks have the potential to become a spiritual exercise.
A scruffy, caricature-like representation suggests that the figure is not burdened by worldly matters such as physical appearance.
Quick and seemingly casual painting can be interpreted to mean progress towards enlightenment.
Zhou JichangLohans Giving Alms to BeggarsSouthern Song Period1178 C.E.hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk3 ft. 7 7/8 in. x 1 ft. 8 7/8 in.
Korean Art
Shakyamuni Buddhaat entrance to cave templefrom Sokkuram, Korea
Vairocana Buddha, disciples, and bodhisattvasFengxian Temple, Longmen Caves, Luoyang, China
Unlike at Longmen, the interior wall surfaces and sculpture were not cut from the rock in the process of excavation. Instead, workers built the rotunda wall by attaching hundreds of granite pieces by stone rivets. The result is more polished and geometric.
A colossal relief in the Longmen complex of caves from the Tang dynasty features a central figure of the Buddha that is 44 feet tall.
The sculpted granite pieces at Sokkuram were attached to the walls of the cave using stone rivets
Vairocana Buddha, disciples, and bodhisattvasFengxian Temple, Longmen Caves, Luoyang, China
Seated Buddha preaching first sermonfrom Sarnath, India5th century C.E.sandstone
The Korean Buddha shares compactness and stylization of features most with the Sarnath Buddha. The pose is elegantly simple, more balanced than the Longmen; the Buddha hardly seems to occupy much space yet it is definitely carved in the round and has a sense of quiet motion and peace that is best seen in 6-12.
Shakyamuni Buddhaat entrance to cave templefrom Sokkuram, Korea
Crown from tomb 98
Hwangnamdong, Korea
Three Kingdoms Period5-6th centurygold10 3/4 in. high
Three Kingdoms Period
Shakyamuni Buddhaat entrance to cave templefrom Sokkuram, KoreaUnified Silla Kingdom751-744graniteapproximately 11 ft. high
Unified Silla Kingdom
Maebyong vaseKoryo dynastyca. 918-1000celadon with inlaid decoration1 ft. 4 1/2 in. tall
Celadon
Korean pottery characterized by
highly translucent iron-pigmented
glazes, fired to produce gray, pale
blue, pale green, or brownish olive.
Incised or engraved areas created
tonal variations.
Koryo Dynasty
Impressive celadon ceramics were developed during the Koryo dynasty
The Koryo potters of Korea produced world famous celadon ware.