Philosophy permeates fine art….. Early Chinese Art Philosophy permeates fine art…..

China has size of Europe Most populated country Many languages & ethnic groups Ruled by dynasties Artist: n/a Title: China and Korea Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: n/a

Neolithic Art in China Neolithic pottery cultures existed in China Yangshao culture 5000 BCE Advanced pottery techniques with kiln, wheel, and glazing Markings may be early writing Artist: n/a Title: Bowl Medium: Painted pottery Size: height 7" (17.8 cm) Date: Neolithic period, Yangshao culture, 5000–4000 BCE Source/Museum: Banpo, near Xi’an, Shaanxi. / Banpo Museum

CONGS were used in Neolithic Chinese tombs…. Liangzhu culture, half human, half animal images over 5000 years old CONG was used in burials and found in ancient tombs Sophisticated jade carving techniques Jade is very hard and difficult to carve Image of face is often called a TAOTIE. Artist: n/a Title: Schematic drawing of a cong Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: n/a

Bronze Age - Piece Mold Casting & Lost Wax bronze bells from the Zhou dynasty, 433 BCE Artist: n/a Title: Set of sixty-five bells Medium: Bronze, with bronze and timber frame Size: frame height 9' (2.74 m), length 25' (7.62 m) Date: Zhou dynasty, 433 BCE Source/Museum: Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, Suixian, Hubei. / Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan Three bronze age Dynasties,: Xia, Shang, Zhou Zhou dynasty was a feudal society (took over warrior society of Shang) Bells sounded 2 tones, scale in a variety of registers Philosophers arose during this age - Confucius, Laozi, Mozi

Emperor Shih Huangdi, 210 BCE 1st ruler of united China - Hin/Qin dynasty Codified written Chinese Established uniform currency Started famous Great Wall of China Began his majestic tomb (SOLDIERS) Insisted on govt based on accomplishments rather than family connections

Flashcard Discovered in 1974 6’ tall soliders 8000 warriors, 100 chariots, 2 bronze chariots, 30,000 weapons Tomb of 1st Emperor of China Shi Huangdi Daoism shown in individuality of shoulders despite numbers Chinese army marching into the next world. Artist: n/a Title: Soldiers Medium: Earthenware Size: life-size Date: Qin dynasty, c. 210 BCE Source/Museum: From the mausoleum of Emperor Shihuangdi, Lintong, Shaanxi Soldiers (Army of Emp. Shi Huangdi, terra cotta, c 210 BCE, Qin Dynasty)

Soldiers were originally painted Artist: n/a Title: Soldiers Medium: Earthenware Size: life-size Date: Qin dynasty, c. 210 BCE Source/Museum: From the mausoleum of Emperor Shihuangdi, Lintong, Shaanxi Soldiers (Army of Emp. Shi Huangdi, terra cotta, c 210 BCE, Qin Dynasty)

END OF MYTHOCENTRIC AGE Silk road was operational HAN DYNASTY 206 BCE - 220 CE END OF MYTHOCENTRIC AGE Silk road was operational Painted banner from the Han Dynasty, 160 BCE Painted on silk, in tomb of Marquess of Dai 3 levels: heaven, earth & underworld Heaven top of the T: dragons, deity with long serpent’s tail Earth bottom part of T with deceased woman and attendants Underworld is below Reflects mythical beliefs later displaced by daoism confucioniam and buddhism Artist: n/a Title: Painted banner Medium: Colors on silk Size: height 6'8½" (2.05 m) Date: Han dynasty, c. 160 BCE Source/Museum: Tomb of the Marquess of Dai, Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan. / National Museum, Beijing

Chinese sculpture produced large scale sculptures such as the terra cotta army of Shi Huangdi, the Seated Buddha at Shanxi (cave) and this Seated Guanvin Bodhisattva. Buddhist philosophy was incorporated into neo-confucianism, with respect for nature, harmony, and metaphysical beliefs. Seated Guanvin Bodhisattva, wood with paint & gold, 95” x 65”, Liao dynasty 10-th-12th century CE Artist: n/a Title: Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva Medium: Wood with paint and gold Size: 95 X 65" (241.3 X 165.1 cm) Date: Liao dynasty, 10th–12th century CE Source/Museum: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Purchase, Nelson Trust (34–10)

Seated Buddha, Stone carving, 45’ tall, 460 CE. flashcard Artist: n/a Title: Seated Buddha, Cave 20, Yungang Medium: Stone Size: height 45' (13.7 m) Date: Northern Wei dynasty, c. 460 CE Source/Museum: Datong, Shanxi Seated Buddha, Stone carving, 45’ tall, 460 CE. flashcard Shows Indian/Central Asian Buddhist iconography with large shoulders + slender body, lotus position, long ears, ushnishu, and peaceful smile.

Camel Carrying a Group of Musicians, flashcard Tang Dynasty, 8th century CE Earthenware w/ 3 color glaze, 26” high China had control over Central Asia again during Tang dynasty Fascination w/Turkic cultures .. Shows Turkish musicans with Han Chinese Naturalism - new interest and trend in painting & sculpture Beautiful 3 color glazes, spontaneous Silk Road was flourishing, brought Chinese goods to West Neoconfucianism= naturalism Artist: n/a Title: Camel Carrying a Group of Musicians Medium: Earthenware with threecolor glaze Size: height 26 ⅛" (66.5 cm) Date: Tang dynasty, c. mid-8th century CE Source/Museum: Tomb near Xi’an, Shanxi. / National Museum, Beijing

Chinese Pagodas Pagodas developed from Buddhist stupas; the design was brought from India via the Silk Road Built for sacred purpose, each design is repeated vertically on each level, getting progressively smaller. Japanese also developed pagodas Artist: n/a Title: Elements of Architecture: Pagodas Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: Early stupa, later stupa, watchflower, stone pagoda, wooden pagoda

Great Wild Goose Pagoda flashcard Ci’en Temple, Xi’an Tang dynasty, 645 CE Typical Chinese Buddhist pagoda About 210’ tall (was taller, rebuilt during Ming dynasty after earthquake) Artist: n/a Title: Great Wild Goose Pagoda At Ci’en Temple, Xi’an Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Tang dynasty, first erected 645 CE; rebuilt mid-8th century CE Source/Museum: Shanxi

Artist: n/a Title: Great Wild Goose Pagoda At Ci’en Temple, Xi’an Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Tang dynasty, first erected 645 CE; rebuilt mid-8th century CE Source/Museum: Shanxi Forbidden City - flashcard, Beijing, China, Ming Dynasty (14th century), Hall of Supreme Harmony. Balance & symmetry, tradition Courtyard style emphasizing empty space with crowded spaces. Reflects Confucianism. Courtyard styles. Only royalty could enter-walled city 9000 buildings.

Artist: n/a Title: Great Wild Goose Pagoda At Ci’en Temple, Xi’an Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Tang dynasty, first erected 645 CE; rebuilt mid-8th century CE Source/Museum: Shanxi Forbidden City - Yellow roof tiles reserved for royalty. Red also royal color. Dragon symbols appear. Rooftops supported by duogang, used for Imperial buildings. Today this is a museum and tourist attraction.

More about typical Chinese architecture… Exterior walls of a courtyard style residence Frame an atrium for tranquility- Elders live in suite of rooms on warmer north end Children leave in the wings Courtyard on larger scale in Forbidden City Wood structures, rectangular gride CONFUCIANISM

Chinese calligraphy considered the highest art form. Calligraphers have different styles and spend years perfecting the techniques. Children learned to write first by copying ideographs Confucius praised pursuit of knowledge & the arts; painting was to reflect moral concerns and calligraphy revealed the character of the writer Some calligraphy cannot be read by modern Chinese readers, it is so artistically done Literati - Confucian scholars- practiced this art form Hand scrolls (Paintings) often have a label in calligraphy in the colophon section. Artist: n/a Title: Art and Its Context: Chinese Characters Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: Chinese characters: Ancient, Modern, ideographs

Portion of a letter by Wang Xizhi Six Dynasties period, mid 4th century CE Feng Ju style - ‘walking” or semi cursive style fluid & graceful strokes, not too informal, but dynamic Artist: Wang Xizhi Title: Portion of a letter from the Feng Ju album Medium: Ink on paper Size: 9¾ X 18½" (24.7 X 46.8 cm) Date: Six Dynasties period, mid-4th century CE Source/Museum: National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

Chinese Painting Traditions Fans, album leaves, and murals Handscrolls on silk or cotton with dowels (meant to be unrolled and enjoyed, not hung on wall).. Read right to left. Colophon - write comments or poetry Hanging scrolls with main scene on front and title on top back Same brushes used for painting & calligraphy

Knight Shining White, Tang Dynasty, 750 CE Original handscroll was about 12” wide Now several feet with all enthusiastic descriptions, comments, poetry from readers “Du Hua” to literally, READ a painting as a form of appreciation Painters were highly valued; some Emperors becamse noted calligraphers and painters Studied under appreentice ship system

Knight Shining White, Tang Dynasty, 750 CE Aim of traditional painter was to capture not outer appearance but inner lenergy, apsirit. “DRAGON STEED” Rejected color or too much background info Pure line to define form, no opaque pigmanets “white painting” 
The discipline required derived from calligraphy. Traditionally, every literate person learned to write by copying Chinese ideographs. Then gradually exposed to different stylistic interpretations of these characters. Copied great calligraphers' manuscripts, which were often preserved on carved stones so that rubbings could be made.

Artist: Attributed to Emperor Huizong Title: Detail of Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk Medium: Handscroll, ink and colors on silk Size: 14½ X 57½" (36 X 145.3 cm) Date: Copy after a lost Tang dynasty painting by Zhang Xuan. Northern Song dynasty, early 12th century CE Source/Museum: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Chinese and Japanese Special Fund (12.886) Detail of Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk, example of a Handscroll, ink & colors, Northern Song Dynasty, early 12th century.. Shows Confucian virtues- copy “honoring” original (lost) from Tang Dynasty

Landscape paintings highly prized in Chinese art. Do not represent a particular forest, mountain, or view, but an artistic construct yielding a philosophical idea Some parts of painting are empty & barren, others are crowded.. Yin/Yang of Daoism aka Taoism This is an example of the empty space contrasted with calligraphy and densely detailed drawing Artist: n/a Title: Unmarked image on page 365 Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: n/a

Travelers Among Mountains and Streams, Fan Kaun Northern Song Dynasty, 11th century CE Hanging scroll, ink & colors on silk, 6’9” high Subtly graded ink tones Northern Song: fascination with precision and details as shown here. Flashcard image - Northern Song painting Artist: Fan Kuan Title: Travelers Among Mountains and Streams Medium: Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk Size: height 6' 9½" (2.06 m) Date: Northern Song dynasty, early 11th century CE Source/Museum: National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Example of Southern Song landscape handscroll… Section of 12 Views from a Thatched Hut; 13th century CE, Xia Gui. 11” x 7’7” long Artist: Xia Gui Title: Section of Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut Medium: Handscroll, ink on silk Size: height 11" (28 cm) length of extant portion 7'7½" (2.31 m) Date: Southern Song dynasty, early 13th century CE Source/Museum: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Purchase, Nelson Trust (32-159/2)

Dwelling in the Qinghian Mountains, 1617, ink on paper, Ming Dynasty Artist: Dong Qi Chang Literati painters rejected traditional apprentice system run by the state…to pursue their own unique styles (contra Confucianism) Dong Qi Chang famous literati painter, influenced by Daoism Thick paces contrast with open areas - negative space implies clouds Flashcard Artist: Xia Gui Title: Section of Twelve Views from a Thatched Hut Medium: Handscroll, ink on silk Size: height 11" (28 cm) length of extant portion 7'7½" (2.31 m) Date: Southern Song dynasty, early 13th century CE Source/Museum: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Purchase, Nelson Trust (32-159/2)

PORCELAIN - a Chinese specialty. Guan ware vases from the Song dynasty used crackled glazes to emphasize the simple symmetry of the form. PORCELAIN - a Chinese specialty. Fine, white clay fired at high temperature; Chinese perfected sophisticated glazing techniques Artist: n/a Title: Guan ware vase Medium: Gray stoneware with crackled grayish blue glaze Size: height 6 ⅝" (16.8 cm) Date: Southern Song dynasty, 13th century CE Source/Museum: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London

Porcelain painted in underglaze blue Jar, Ming dynasty, China 15th Century, 19”high Xuande mark and period (1426-1435) Porcelain painted in underglaze blue Example of fine porcelain ware created during this period Technically superior, thin walls, glazing Artist: n/a Title: Guan ware vase Medium: Gray stoneware with crackled grayish blue glaze Size: height 6 ⅝" (16.8 cm) Date: Southern Song dynasty, 13th century CE Source/Museum: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London flashcard

Korean Art Crown from 6th century, gold with jade ornaments Artist: n/a Title: Crown Medium: Gold with jadeite ornaments Size: height 17½" (44.5 cm) Date: Three Kingdoms period, probably 6th century. Source/Museum: Korean. Silla kingdom, From the Gold Crown tomb, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province. / National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea Crown from 6th century, gold with jade ornaments

Arts of Korea Three Kingdoms period saw incredible metalwork - crown High fired ceramics Buddhist art; introduced to Korea in 4th century Slender body, oval face Buddha Bodhisattva Seated in Mediation, Bronze, 35” high, Three Kingdoms Period (early 7th century)

Seated Shakyamuni Buddha Hands in bhumisparsha mudra (earth touching gesture of enlightement) Granite, 11 feet high Silla period, c 751 Modeled after cave temples of China Artist: n/a Title: Seated Shakyamuni Buddha with hands in bhumisparsha mudra (the earth-touching gesture symbolizing his enlightenment) Medium: Granite Size: height of Buddha only 11' 2½" (342 cm) Date: Unified Silla period, c. 751 Source/Museum: Seokguram Grotto, main Buddha. Korean. Near Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Late 14th century, 62” high Korean artists also developed beautiful hanging silk scrolls, such as this seated willow-branch piece… Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Late 14th century, 62” high Artist: n/a Title: Seated willow-branch Gwanse’eum Bosal (The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara) Medium: Hanging scroll; ink, colors, and gold pigment on silk Size: height 62 ½" (159.6 cm) Date: Goryeo dynasty, late 14th century Source/Museum: n/a

Bamboo and blossoming plum tree Maebveong bottle, 13th century Korea Celadon ware, 13” high Bamboo and blossoming plum tree Pale blue/green glaze over gray stoneware Koreans learned celadon glazing from Chinese Classical simplicity Some incised designs Not a flashcard but know what celadon ware is. Artist: n/a Title: Maebyeong bottle with decoration of bamboo and blossoming plum tree. Medium: Inlaid celadon ware: light gray stoneware with decoration inlaid with black and white slips under celadon glaze Size: height 13 ¼" (33.7 cm) Date: Goryeo dynasty, late 12th–early 13th century Source/Museum: Korean. / Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan