Chinese Art before 1279 -China is unique for

Chinese Art before 1279 -China is unique for its long, uninterrupted development that stretches back 8, 000 yrs -Size of China is slightly larger than the continental U. S. -currently 1, 331, 460, 000 people live in China; approx 1/5 of the world’s population Timeline: -c. 5000 – 2000 BCE; Neolithic China -c. 2000 – 221 BCE; Bronze Age China -c. 221 BCE – 1279 CE; Chinese Dynasties

Neolithic China; 5000 – 2000 BCE -began with the cultivation of rice and millet in East Asia before 5000 BCE; contradicts earlier ideas that agriculture was brought to them from the Near East -emerging evidence suggests that cultures all over China formed cities and developed agriculture and writing between 5000 – 2000 BCE -these cultures later merged to form one unified China

Bowl; Painted pottery; height 7“; Neolithic period, Yangshao culture, 5000– 4000 BCE

taotie; name of this ancient mask motif cong; object resembling a cylindrical tube encased in a rectangular block Image of a deity from a cong; Schematic drawing of a cong; Jade 3½ X 6⅞“; Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, before 3000 BCE

Bronze Age China: 2000 BCE – 221 BCE -ruled over by 3 dynasties; Xia, Shang and Zhou; first 2 originally thought to be myths, but recent evidence confirmed the Shang and suggests the Xia c. 2000 – 1700 BCE; Xia c. 1700 – 1100 BCE; Shang c. 1100 – 221 BCE; Zhou -bronze piece-mold casting developed independently in China and reached unparalleled excellence there

Shang Dynasty; 1700 – 1100 BCE -Shang tombs reveal a warrior culture of great splendor and violence -bronze vessels; most admired and studied of Shang dynasty bronze work; this one recovered from a royal tomb -fang ding; bronze vessel with 4 legs -Shang priests communicated with the supernatural through oracle bones; contain the earliest known form of Chinese writing Fang ding; Bronze; height 24 ½“; Shang dynasty, Anyang period, c. 12 th century BCE

Set of sixty-five bells; Bronze, with bronze and timber frame; frame height 9‘ length 25‘; Zhou dynasty, 433 BCE Zhou Dynasty: 1100 – 221 BCE -longest Chinese dynasty; 1 st 300 yrs, relatively stable -developed feudal society; nobels related to the king ruled over numerous small states -important philosophers Confucius, Laozi begin work that informs the rest of Chinese history -elaborate burials on an even larger scale continue

Chinese Empire: 221 BCE – 1279 CE -Bronze Age state of Qin triumphs over other states to create 1 st unified China (united under a single ruler) -Qin Dynasty: 221 – 206 BCE -1 st emperor built mausoleum at Lintong with life-size terra cotta soldier army; discovered by accident in 1974 -rule was harsh and oppressive, but established the centralized bureaucracy that molded the rest of Chinese history -divided the country into provinces -standardized the coinage and writing system -built roads and connected battlements along the northern border to make the Great Wall -dynasty ended abruptly by rebellion in 206 BCE

Soldiers; Earthenware; life-size Qin dynasty, c. 210 BCE From the mausoleum of Emperor Shihuangdi

Han Dynasty: 206 BCE – 220 CE -commander who overthrew the Qin became the next emperor and founded the Han Dynasty -peaceful, prosperous, and stable period in Chinese history -opened the Silk Road; 5000 mile trade route to Rome -end of Chinese “mythocentrism” and rise of philosophical beliefs begun during Zhou dynasty by philosophers Confucius and Laozi

mythocentrism: believing in a close relationship between the human and supernatural world -belief summarized by the images on this early Han banner, found in a tomb -heavenly realm is shown in the cross part of the T -primordial deity with a long snake tale in center—Han image of the Great ancestor -above the 2 dragons going through the circle is the earthly realm, below them is the underworld Painted banner Colors on silk height 6‘ 8½" Han dynasty, c. 160 BCE

Daoism: -written by philosopher Laozi during Zhou dynasty -emphasizes close relationship between humans and nature -bring life into harmony with the Dao, or “Way” of the universe -originally a secular, philosophical path; a series of treatises or revelations about how to live -developed into a religion with a concept of immortality—shown in this incense burner which depicts the Isle of the Immortals Incense burner; Bronze with gold inlay height 10 ½“; Han dynasty, 113 BCE

Confucianism: -written by Confucius in Zhou dynasty -teachings later recorded by his students -emphasized rectifying relationships; goal is the attainment of equality -at the heart are the concepts of empathy and morality as the basic standards for all interactions -establishes a social order of respect for authority, and authority behaving in a way deserving of respect -emphasized etiquette, everyday manners, ritual and ceremonial protocol -emphasis on respect for authority made it especially popular with Han rulers—made it the official imperial philosophy; remained the state ideology for 2000 years -Confucian subjects turn up frequently in Han art

Detail from a rubbing of a stone relief in a family shrine; 27 ½ X 66 ½“; Han dynasty, 151 CE -this late Han relief from a family shrine illustrates the change in beliefs from the earlier painted banner -shows only people and real animals, in clear registers of position; women on one floor, men on another -each floor receiving visitors in a certain way—emphasis on proper social order; focus is clearly on the human realm (unlike the tiny people in the earlier painted banner)

-basically nothing of actual Han architecture survives, so all we have are ceramic models found in tombs -represents a typical Han dwelling; animals probably lived on the lower level w/ the family above -shows bracketing under the eaves bracketing: system for supporting the broad eaves that became characteristic of East Asian architecture -painting on outside may be true to reality since literary sources describe Han palaces as being decorated with paint and lacquer and inlaid with precious materials Tomb model of a house; Painted earthenware 52 X 33½ X 27“; Eastern Han dynasty, 1 st– mid-2 nd century CE

Six Dynasties: 265 – 598 CE -fall of Han Dynasty in 220 CE led to years of warring states in China until it finally split into North and South regions (divided by the mountains) -in the North—near constant warfare -in the South— 6 short-lived dynasties succeeded each other -sees the development of 1 st landscape painting; central to later Chinese art -calligraphy, one of highest forms of Chinese art, reaches maturity -Buddhism spreads throughout China

Buddhism: -developed from the teachings of a prince named Siddhartha, later Buddha (“fully enlightened being”), who lived in Nepal and central India c. 500 BCE -as a prince, he was shielded from pain, suffering and death; eventually escaped and saw the difficulty of the human condition -at age 29, he left his palace to live as an ascetic in the wilderness -establishes Four Noble Truths: 1. Life is suffering 2. This suffering has a cause, which is ignorance 3. This ignorance can be overcome and extinguished 4. The way to overcome this ignorance is by following an 8 -fold path -Buddha is not a god, but rather a person who sees the ultimate nature of the world and is therefore no longer subject to the cycle of birth, death, rebirth and otherwise -Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes compassion and “buddhahood” for all beings; popular in China, recognizes other buddhas from the past like Amitabha Buddha; the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life -Amitabha Buddha dwells in a paradise known as the “Western Pure Land” -bodhisattva: enlightened person who chooses to stay in this realm to help others advance

Attributed to Gu Kaizhi; Detail of Admonitions of the Imperial Instructress to Court Ladies; Handscroll, ink and colors on silk; 9¾" X 11'6“; Six Dynasties period handscroll: long, narrow, horizontal composition, compact enough to be held in the hand when rolled up; meant to be viewed by only 2 or 3 people at a time; not displayed completely unrolled—viewed only about 1 ft at a time, from right to left -new emphasis on spiritual value of painting -artists seek to evoke a “life essence” with their work—a sense of animation and energy cultivated in the artist that flows through the art work -brush strokes are the “bones” of the picture—each stroke a vehicle for expression; through brush work, the artists spirit is represented

calligraphy: purest form of the expressive quality and structural importance of brush strokes -believed to reveal the style and character of the writer -one of highest forms of expression in Chinese art Wang Xizhi Portion of a letter Ink on paper 9¾ X 18½" Six Dynasties period, mid-4 th century CE

Seated Buddha, Cave; Stone; height 45‘; c. 460 CE

Sui and Tang Dynasties: -Sui Dynasty; 581 – 618 CE -China united by a general from the Northern Dynasties -short lived empire coincided with a blending of different Buddhist styles that had developed during the Six Dynasties period -Tang Dynasty; 601 – 907 CE -one of China’s greatest dynasties -Buddhism reached its greatest development in early years -Late Tang rulers reinstated Confucianism and persecuted Buddhists

Nanchan Temple: Tang dynasty, 782 CE -earliest important example of surviving Chinese architecture

Song Dynasty: 960 – 1279 CE -brief period of disintegration followed the fall of the Tang dynasty until China united again under the Song Dynasty -country united until invaders in 1126 split it into North and South again -960 – 1126; period called Northern Song (united) -1127 – 1279; Southern Song (Song leaders retreated to the south) -though territory diminished, its wealth increased and patronage of the arts was plentiful -period of introspection and reflection in Chinese art that reflected weakened military status -landscape painting becomes the highest subject matter; realistic, but idealized -Neo-Confucianism; combines aspects of Daoism and Buddhism with Confucianism

neo-Confucianism: blending Daoism and Buddhism with Confucianism gave it a metaphysical aspect it lacked -teaches that the universe consists of 2 interacting forces; li (principle or idea) and qi (matter) -everything in the world that exists (qi) has an underlying, non-physical essence (li) -all li is part of an eternal first principle known as the Great Ultimate -practice involves the pursuit of ridding our qi of impurities through education and self-cultivation so that our li can achieve oneness with the Great Ultimate (concept taken from Buddhism) -painting is highest expression of this belief Fan Kuan Travelers Among Mountains and Streams Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk height 6' 9½“; Northern Song dynasty, early 11 th century CE

Xu Daoning; Section of Fishing in a Mountain Stream Handscroll, ink on silk; 19' X 6'10“; Northern Song dynasty, mid-11 th century CE -reveal nature through a distant, all-seeing, mobile view point -mobile view pt best shown through hand scrolls that were slowly unrolled and viewed a portion at a time -meant to unfold like the composition of a piece of music in the West—like a symphony; there is no western parallel in visual art

Zhang Zeduan; Section of Spring Festival on the River Handscroll, ink and colors on silk; 9 ½" X 7'4" Northern Song dynasty, early 12 th century CE -Northern Song culture had an obsession with precision that is demonstrated in this hand scroll by a court painter; presents invaluable record of daily life in the Song dynasty capital

Xia Gui; Section of Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut Handscroll, ink on silk; height 11“, length of extant portion 7'7½" Southern Song dynasty, early 13 th century CE

Song Dynasty Ceramics: guan ware: most highly prized; made primarily for imperial use -shows strong sense of harmony and simple forms -crackle technique originally discovered accidentally, but later used on purpose to express irregularity and spontaneity on an otherwise perfect form Guan ware vase Gray stoneware with crackled grayish blue glaze height 6 ⅝" Southern Song dynasty, 13 th century CE

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