CHINA ART IMAGES
By MONLLEO
SPRING 2014
TIMELINE
NEOLITHIC CHINA C. 5000-1700 BCE
SHANG DYNASTY 1766-1111 BCE
ZHOU DYNASTY 1111-221 BCE
QIN Dynasty 221-206
BCE
HAN Dynasty 206 BCE-CE 221
SUI DYNASTY 581-618 CE
TANG Dynasty 618-906 CE
FIVE DYNASTIES 906-960 CE
LIAO DYNASTY 907-1125CE
SONG DYNASTIES 960-1279 CE
Northern SONG 960-1127
Southern SONG 1128-1279
YUAN DYNASTY 1260-1368 CE
MING DYNASTY 1368-1644 CE
QING DYNASTY 1644-1911 CE
Circular Hut, Banpo Village Neolithic Period
(YANGSHAO) 5000-1700 BCE
Tregear #2
Reconstruction of a circular hut of the type excavated at Banpo, Shaanxi.
The huts were constructed on a system of posts, for which the holes have been found.
It is thought that the walls and roofs were of wattle and thatch.
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Trenching pounded earth (the flooring) easy to brush away.
KILN AREA // DITCH //
1. Sloping entrance
2. Plastered or daubed interior partition
3. Central fire pit
4. Plaster floor or bare earth.
5. Let stalks reeds clay
5. Straw thatch
6. Brushwood
7. A Rectangular pit house
8. A Round hut
9. A Wattle and Daub Construction
10. Vines and saplings woven between supporting poles with
mud applied to create a protected place.
Painted pottery Basin from Banpo,
Neolithic Period
(YANGSHAO) 5000-1700 BCE
Tregear # 4
• Painted pottery cultures
• Usually buff to reddish clay with black painted
decoration. / Large use of “SLIP” liquefied clay,
very typical of this type of this period.
• Probably of a symbolic significance, which can
only be guessed at today, the fish and the
human head with 3 pointed ‘halo’ motifs of
Banpo move slowly towards abstraction. This
movement from representation to abstraction is
repeated in much of the other Painted Pottery
decoration of north China. It can be seen, for
instance, in the flower motifs of Henan.
• Here the sinuous movement of the motif
complements the profile of the pot in a way,
which makes it clear that it was deliberately
chosen by the decorator.
Tregear # 7
Burnished Black Pottery Beaker,
Neolithic Period
(Longshan) 5000-1700BCE
• Black burnished pottery;
• There is no painting involved;
• Tall beaker of thin burnished black pottery. A
shape which is unique to the eastern area of
the Black Pottery culture.
• From Weifang, Shandong. 3rd or early 2nd
millennium BC.
• LONGSHAN artists seem to focus on the tactile
aspect.
• It is a very fine wear, for some kind of religious
ritual;
• The shapes are very refined;
• 2 or 3 pieces would be added to become one
long piece;
Bronze GU (goblet)
Shang Dynasty 1766-1111 BCE
Tregear # 14
• High –footed goblet, “GU”- Cast bronze.
This trumpet-mouthed shape is a winedrinking vessel; the hollow foot reaches
up to the central zone. The rising blades
are of cicada motif. 14th-13th C. BC.
• GU is a tall, trumpet-shaped vessel is a
drinking cup, used for hot wine. Trumpet
shape Siqueira design usually.
Bronze Ding (cauldron)
Shang Dynasty 1766-1111 BCE
Tregear # 15
It is a square or rectangular container on four
legs used for cooking, usually many bosses.
It looks like a barbecue set in old times.
DING = a four-legged vessel. Cast bronze. The
human mask motif may refer to human sacrifice, but
this vessel bears an inscription “large grain”.
The simplification of the surrounds and the
enlarged flanges point to a late Shang date.
From Ningxian, Henan. 14th-12th C. BC.
JUE- 3-Legged Vessel for Heating Wine
Cast Bronze,
Shang Dynasty 1766-1111 BCE
Tregear # 38
• It is a 3 legged vessel for heating
wine. Cast bronze. This shape is
unique to the Shang period although
it is a development of a Neolithic
Black Pottery shape. 13th-12th C. BC.
• It is an awkward, spindly wine vessel;
used for serving heated wine in rituals,
like a decanter of these days, but in
bronze.
Bronze Yu (bucket) (Early)
Zhou Dynasty 1111-221 BCE
Tregear # 25
• Bucket with swinging handle, YU.
• Cast bronze.
• A piece showing some of the
exaggeration characteristic of the
early ZHOU period.
• The hooked and upswept flanges
give a new profile to the vessel,
although the decoration is still
completely traditional.
• 12th-11th C. BC.
bronze Yu (bucket) in form of a monster
(Late) Shang Dynasty 1766-1111 BCE
Tregear # 18
• It is a Bucket with swinging handle,
YU. Cast bronze.
• The monster with terrified human
being embodies much of the late
Shang style.
• The elaborate surface decoration
includes KUI, felines and serpents; a
small deer forms the knob.
• Much use is made of leiwen to enrich
the surface. 11th C. BC.
Bronze Ding (Early)
Zhou Dynasty 1111-221 BCE
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3 legged vessel with cover, DING.
Cast Bronze.
The cover can be reversed to make
a bowl.
At this period elegance of form
demanded subordination of the
decoration, which is here abstract,
with a quatrefoil motif in the
centre of the cover.
6th C. BC.
Tregear # 27 wrong image, couldn’t find legs one
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Funerary Banner, Mawangdui tombs
(Han Dynasty) 206 BCE- CE 221
Tregear #40
• A symbolic painting found on the
coffin of the lady portrayed in the
center of the banner. Mid-2nd C. BC.
3 world levels…
• 1.TOP- Sky world with mythical
inhabitants;
• 2.MIDDLE- Earth world with the
marquise & female attendants;
• 3.BOTTOM- Neither world with
groupings of ritual vessels +
mourners;
Funerary Banner (detail), Mawangdui
tombs (Han Dynasty) 206 BCE- CE 221
Tregear #41
• Lower portion of the banner. The style of painting in
sinuous line and rich colour is probably close to the
style of finer contemporary works on fabric, none of
which have so far been found.
• The murky underworld or sea is again represented by
mythological scenes.
• The sinuous line of serpentine dragons, entwined in
the jade ring (BI) and encircling the humans, seems to
link this composition to CHU art of a century earlier.
• However, the treatment of the humans and of the
mythological scenes is conceived in the “new style”, in
which painting unites the real and the imaginary
worlds.
• The juxtaposition of real and imaginary, first seen in
the Shang bronzes, is characteristic of the HAN period.
Battle Scene (rubbing), Wu Family
Shrine (Han Dynasty) 206 BCE- CE 221
Tregear #44
• Rubbing of a stone relief
from the WU LIANGZI
shrine, Shandong.
• This section shows a battle
scene on a bridge over a
river.
• The scattered surface
composition reads from
the base line upwards. AD
147-68.
Incense burner in form of a mountain,
Mancheng tombs (Han Dynasty)
206 BCE- CE 221
Tregear #51
• Incense burner in the form of a
mountain.
• Cast bronze with gold and silver inlays.
• The cover is pierced so that the
incense smoke wreathes out.
• Small animals and humans wander
amongst the peaks.
• It is from the tomb of Prince LIU
SHENG. Mancheng, HEBEI. Late 2nd C.
BC.
Lamp in form of a girl, Mancheng
tombs (Han Dynasty) 206 BCE- CE 221
Tregear #52
• Gilt bronze oil lamp in the form of a
kneeling servant girl.
• Her right arm and sleeve form the
chimney of the lamp, and the cylinder
around the wick revolves to allow the
light to be directed.
• From the tomb of Princess DOU WAN,
Mancheng, HEBEI.
• 2nd C. BC.
“Flying” Horse
(Han Dynasty) 206 BCE- CE 221
Tregear #54
• It is a cast bronze figure of a
horse with one foot poised on a
flying swallow.
• This famous piece comes from
GANSU and represents a lively
tradition of horse models in the
area.
• HAN.
Detail from Murals in Tomb Chamber of
Yong Tai near Chang-an
(Tang Dynasty) CE 618-906
Tregear #65
• Detail from the murals in the tomb
chamber of Princess Yong Tai, near
Chang’an.
• A serene expression of gentle
movement now complements the
traditional linking of figures by
facial expression and gesture.
• There is here a real
representation of space and
volume on the ground plane and
around each figure.
• Dated 706.
Emperor Ming Huang Travelling in Shu
color on silk (Tang Dynasty) 618-906
Tregear #68
• The Emperor MING Huang
Travelling in SHU.
• Colour on silk.
• The picture reads from left
to right and falls into 3
episodes.
• It is executed in the style of
idyllic landscape painting of
the Tang Dynasty.
• Later copy of 8th C. original.
Colossal Amitabha Buddha
(Sui Dynasty) CE 581-618
Tregear #70
• Colossal standing Amitabha Buddha.
• Marble sculpture in the calm style of Sui.
• The Buddha is now much more fully
clothed, and the treatment of the folds and
threads of the drapery has become an
important part of the sculptor’s expression
of form.
• From Hebei. Dated 585.
• Turbulent movement in sculpture.
Rubbing of Princess Yong Tai tomb,
Chang’an (Tang Dynasty) CE 618-906
Tregear #78
• Rubbing of incised decoration from the
sarcophagus of the Princess Yong Tai
tomb, Chang’an.
• This carving indicates the style of figure
painting in the 8th C. : a flowing line and
simple composition expressing both
space and volume. Dated 706.
Ceramic figure of a Camel (Tang Dynasty)
CE 618-906
Tregear #86
• Tomb model of a saddled camel.
Cream, green and yellow glazes
over a white earthenware body.
• Such models of animals, servants,
entertainers and household
goods were produced in quantity
in the 8th C.
• Cast from moulds and assembled
in sections, they achieve many
lively poses.
“Traveling in Streams and Mountains” (by
Northern
FAN KUAN)
Song Dynasty CE 960-1279
Tregear #90
*HE DISCRIBED clearly the landscape, you can enter
the landscape painting.
*The horses are passing at the bottom of the piece.
*There is a great space in between, all white to give a
distance to the back ground.
*There is some architecture in the end it is probably
a Buddhist temple.
*Pure nature at the top.
*It’s were we go when we are completely evolved.
*It has to be realism.
*The begin to follow a guide book, and there are
many books.
*If it’s a pine tree, it has to have a specific look.
* It has to be described in a certain way.
Early Spring (by GUO XI) hanging scroll
Northern Song Dynasty CE 960-1279
Tregear #91
• About 50 years later, Guo X painted Early Spring.
• This artist also painted at court, by now that of
the Northern Song at Kaifeng.
• He was not only a court painter – which implied
portraiture, decoration and religious painting –
but also the head of the Imperial Academy.
• He must, therefore, have been an artist of
considerable standing amongst his
contemporaries.
• There are, indeed, records which confirm that he
was a good painter in many fields, who painted
landscapes for his own satisfaction.
• Few of his works have survived, and of these
EARLY SPRING is probably the best known.
“On a Mountain Path in Spring”
(by MA YUAN)
SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY CE 1128-1279
Tregear #101
• Ink & light color on silk.
• An album leaf in which MA YUAN
uses surface compositional
devices close to HUI ZONG but
adds the illusion of space and
depth with the hill to the left and
the flying bird.
MU-QI Persimmons (Ink on Paper)
Southern Song Dynasty CE 1128-1279
Tregear #104
• This small painting epitomizes the
CHAN ideal with its subtle evocation
of colour in tone and its witty
brushwork.
Wandering in the Fuchun Mountains
(by HUANG GONGWANG) Yuan Dynasty
CE 1260-1368
Tregear #112
• Hand scroll, ink on paper,
1350.
• Comparison both with the
early masters whom
Huang admired and with
the contemporary
paintings by ZHAO
MENGFU and QIAN XUAN
show the strength of this
master’s work.
Tregear #114
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The Rongxi Studio (by NI ZAN)
Yuan Dynasty CE 1260-1368
NI ZAN
came from a comfortably well-off family which owned a fine house and a
famous library.
He was an educated man who chose not to take up the office for which
he would have been fitted.
During the period of national troubles, both taxation and local unrest hit
his family and eventually he sold up the family estate and, to avoid having
to submit to the local ruler, he and his wife lived on a boat on the lakes.
It seems that his highly personal landscapes, variations on the same
lakeside subject, date from this period.
His vision is one of calm waters and of uninhabited land in a silvery light.
Painted in light ink on paper, Ni Zan’s paintings are executed with light,
staccato brushwork and in a very narrow range of tone.
The artist has a sure eye for expressing space across water.
He uses a vertical hanging scroll format and he is the finest exponent of
the “stretched” composition: whereas the 11th C. landscape painter bound
his painting to the edges of the fame and related one eye level to another
by interlocking units within the composition.
Ni Zan and other 14th C. painters expanded the space between these
units, daring almost to split the composition horizontally, but trying it by
the use of vertical elements, such as tall tree in the foreground, to unite
the surfice.
Imperial Palace, Forbidden City, Beijing
(Ming-Qing Dynasty) 15th-17th cen. CE
Tregear #120
• General view of one of the inner
courtyards of the Palace. 15th C.
foundation.
• The grand plan includes ceremonial,
religious, administrative & domestic
quarters.
Temple of Heaven, Beijing (Ming Dynasty)
CE 1368-1644 (15th cen.)
Tregear #122
• This circular building with violetblue tiled roof and brilliantly
painted woodwork faces the
Altar of Heaven at which the
Emperor performed seasonal
rituals.
• Late Qing period.
Marble Camels on the Spirit Way to Ming
Tombs of Nanjing (Ming) 1369-1644
Tregear #124
• It is a road flanked by
animal sculpture which
leads to the Ming tombs
at Nanjing.
• The first two Ming
emperors were buried at
Nanjing, where the tomb
site, though similar, is
smaller than that at
Beijing.
Returning Home at Evening (by DAI JIN)
Ming Dynasty CE 1368-1644
Tregear #125
• It is a hanging scroll, ink & slight
colour on silk.
• The scale of this large painting
imparts a new dimension to a
brush style which is clearly related
to the 13th C. BC.
Fishing Boat by a Willow Bank
(by QUI YING) Ming Dynasty CE 1368-1644
Tregear #130
• Colour on silk.
• Using a high view and delicate composition, the
artist achieves a most poetic and decorative effect.
Autumn Landscape
(by KUN CAN) Qing Dynasty CE 1644-1911
Tregear #139
• Obs. Couldn't find right picture
• Ink and slight colour on paper.
• The atmospheric effect of the
distance is enhanced by the colour.
• The 3rd of the Individualist painters
was Kun Can, also a monk about
whom very little is known, and from
whose work only a few landscapes
and album leaves survive.
• His compositions tend to be
sprawling and anecdotal.
• The structure does not have any of
the tightness of other classic style
painters,
Kazaks Presenting Horses to Emperor
(by LANG SHINING / CASTIGLIONE)
Qing Dynasty CE 1644-1911
Tregear #147
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Kazaks Presenting Tribute Horses to the Qian Long Emperor (detail).
Handscroll, ink and color on paper. Another example of court taste,
with its mixture of European and Chinese styles.
His drawing, however, was Italian, as was his use of color, light and
shade, modelling and linear perspective, all of which seemed exotic
and fascinating to the Chinese. His style became popular at court and
was adopted by several Chinese painters. The result was a new
“realism” in painting which was at odds with all that Shi Tao,
Badashanren or the Four Wangs stood for. Nevertheless, this type of
realism become rooted I Chinese tradition and it further generated a
school of decorative painting in the 18th & 19th C.
Outside courts circles, life was rich and independent in spirit. In
flourishing dstricts such as Yangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing, artists and
craftsmen found a ready market. A group of overtly commerciallyminded painters, who were yet of the educated class, made their
appearance in these centers. Advertising their work for sale and
producing considerable quantities of small paintings, they made a
good living from their work. These artists were grouped under the
name of Eccentrics and were at some pains to create a memorable
personal style. Although none of them was of the stature of Shi Tao or
Badashanren, they were all to some extent innovators. Mei Qing
(1623-97) was a friend and admirer of Shi Tao.
NEOLITHIC CHINA
Paleolithic = survival consumed all
the time and effort of early
humans in China. They did not
make pottery. Until 5000 BCE
fundamental life-style changes
began occurring
Neolithic = Agricultural
settlements develop along
YELLOW RIVER. Hunters and
fishermen became farmers.
Production of ART. 3 Styles: 1.
Painted style, 2. Black burnished
style, 3. Rough gray ware
Yellow River = Is the mother river
of China, the China’s sorrow.
Agricultural development started
by this river in the Neolithic
Period of China
Yangshao = One Neolithic cultural
designation in Northwest China. It
is a general term used for the
painted pottery cultures.
Decoration importance.
Banpo = It was a circular village
or rectangular. Ceramic were
typified by red pottery with black
slip decoration. Vessels are buff
colored clay body with black
decoration. Motifs: fish, masks or
human face, geometric design
Longshan = 2nd Phase of Neolithic
Culture. The Black Pottery period.
No painting. Focused on the
tactile aspect of the ceramics.
Shapes importance.
Xia Period = This was the time
were legendary people teaches
other people to do agriculture,
ceramics, architecture.
Discoveries since 1920s seem to
verify its existence
SHANG DYNASTY – 1766=1111 BCE
Shang = Dynasty divided
into 3 phases: 1.Erlitou Phase
1600 BCE; 2.Zhengzhou Phase
1500-1300 BCE; 3. Anyang
Phase 1300-1100 BCE. Writing
develops during the Shang
I Ching =
an ancient Chinese book of
divination, in which 64
pairs of trigrams are shown
with various
interpretations.
Taotie =
Oracle =
Erlitou =
Tianming =
Early Shang Dynasty
Phase ca. 1600 BCE
(Erlitou Phase)
the principle that Heaven
decides who will rule on
earth
Bones, shamans tried to read
the signs of nature to help
direct king. Oracle Bones
were used by the Shang
royalty in consulting their
oracles.
Piece-mold =
Horror vacui =
Splayed figure =
method was the
technique for casting
these vessels
bold relief decorations,
space-filling conventions,
sensibility operating here
most frequent
conventions it is divided
in half lengthwise
Kui =
Leiwen =
seems to be a mask or
face of a mythical animal
are small “dragons”; they
are two-legged animals
with snout, ears, tail
is a spiral, called the
“thunder spiral”
Gu =
Jue =
Ding =
tall, trumpet-shaped
vessel is a drinking cup,
used for hot wine
awkward, spindly wine
vessel; used for serving
heated wine in rituals
square or rectangular
containers on 4 legs
were used for cooking
Zun =
a vessel with the shape
of a vase
Guang =
container made of
bronze, used for wine
storage and serving
Liding =
3 legged vessel for
cooking and/or for
heating wine
Gui =
used for storing foods
(either liquid or solid)
ZHOU DYNASTY – 1111-221 BCE
ZHOU =
The Classical age – Fundamentals of
Chinese civilization were formed. From
mixed agricultural-hunting society to an
organized urban and feudal state. They
lived to the west of the Shang, with a
capital in Shaanxi province. They
conquered the Shang (771 BCE)
Early Western ZHOU =
Late Eastern ZHOU =
Moved the capital to Henan
province. Thus divided the
dynasty into Early + Late.
Established feudal duchies that
gained autonomy with
decentralized power
During the 6th C. BCE 6 states
warred over supremacy – QIN,
CHU, ZAN, ZHAO, WEI + HAN.
YU = Early
A bucket, which includes a handle –
dynamic and complex shape in traditional
bronze vessel – strong, blunt force to the
Zhou pieces. Yu the same shape – a couple
of centuries later – outline of vessels have
simplified greatly, as has surface
decoration
HU =
(vase) with bird on lid; this
period saw development of
sculpture in the round
BELLS =
As early as the Shang
dynasty both north and
south China produced
BELLS
“The Warring States Period”
“Late ZHOU hook” =
Another motif spiral with tightly
raised curl at termination
JADE =
MIRRORS =
Many mirrors have been
found in late Zhou tombs
PI =
Jade carved in the form
of a flat Disk and is
decorated with the
celestial dragon
Most precious and
meaningful green stone
of all materials to the
Chinese
QIN DYNASTY 221-206 BCE
PYTHAGORAS =
SIDDHARTHA =
The original name of
Buddha
a Greek philosopher and
mathematician, known for the
Pythagorean Theorem, about the
relationship between the sides
of a triangle which has one angle
of 90 degrees
LAOZI =
founded the Taoism, a
nature philosophy
TAO DE JING =
Book of the Way and Its
Power
CONFUCIUS =
a philosopher that defined
political + familial relationships – code of
ethics – excellence is a matter of right
conduct that can be learned – education men
were best hope for stable government “golden rule” one should treat inferiors in the
same way that one would like to be treated
by your superiors. It became a system
YIN/YANG =
Concentrates on man in
scheme of nature, esp.
forces
TAO =
TAOISM =
meant to put humans in
harmony with the natural order.
In the Han dynasty it turned into
a religion
SHI HUANG DI =
Zheng, the Qin ruler, declared
himself 1st emperor. Unified
politics, very repressive.
Standardized writing style.
Bureaucratic regime.
Laozi founded Taoism,
Called “TAO” a nature
philosophy
QIN =
Dynasty 221-206 BCE
Ruled by Shi Huang Di
XI’AN =
Capital of Shaanxi province (221206 BCE) – discovered in 1974;
one of the greatest archeological
discoveries in history - Tomb
protected by 7,000 terra-cotta
soldiers
THE GREAT WALL =
Begun 214 BCE; it eventually
extended about 1500 miles –
besides keeping out barbarians,
it could keep in rebels
HAN Dynasty 206 BCE-CE 221
HAN =
Emperor GOA ZU =
SILK ROAD =
WANG MANG =
The Han rule established a
trading route that linked
east and west
4 Centuries of Han rule were
interrupted about midpoint
by a brief usurpation – this
was achieved by him
Dynasty 206 BCE- 221. The
victor in the struggle after Shi
Huang Di’s death was Goa Zu
He was a peasant from Han
River valley; the dynasty took
this as its name . Confucianism
was established as official
ideology
DAI =
MAWANGDUI =
(201 BC-200 BC) Died in her
50’s – personal name XIN Zhui
A tomb was found at this
place in 1971, near Changsha
in Hunan province. It had
been made for the wife of the
Marquise of Dai.
The Emperor’s Wife, she was
found intact in her tomb, an
amassing archeological
achievement
LIU SHENG =
DOU WAN =
CENSER =
A son of Emperor Jing Di. A
prince born in CHANG’AN in
113 BC from the Han Dynasty,
his tomb was found in 1968 in
the Mancheng Tomb.
The wife of Prince Liu Sheng.
Her tomb was in the same
location at Mancheng Tombs,
Hebei. Her body was encased
in a jade burial suit
(incense burner) late
C. BCE
bronze with gold/silver inlay. It
represents a mountain, and the
smoke makes a pattern of a
dragon. It is all about nature.
WU LIANGZI =
HIERATIC SCALE =
It is a famous Shrine or a temple
in Shandong 147-168 CE – a
rubbing of stone reliefs in the Wu
Family tomb or shrine, paying
homage to the emperor, also the
site is with his name
The use of different size for
significant or holy figures and
those of the everyday world to
indicate importance; the larger
the figure; the greater the
importance
Tombs, Han objects furnished
elaborate shaft and chamber
MARQUISE of DAI =
2nd
MANCHENG TOMB =
The tombs of Prince Liu Sheng and his
wife Dou Wan were found in 1968.
Objects found: 1. Jade Burial Suit; 2.
Lamp in the Form of a Kneeling Girl; 3.
Censer (incense burner); 4. Rubbing from
Wu Liangzi Shrine; 5. Flying Horse
RUBBINGS =
Paint or graphite smudged on
the walls, making murals in the
path of the Mancheng Tombs
halls.
NORTHERN & SOUTHERN Dynasties 219-580 CE
NORTHERN WEI =
North was overrun by nonChinese nomads called Toba
Tartars
Split into 3:
WEI/ SHU/ WU
SIX DYNASTIES =
“Age of Fragmentation” 6 Chinese dynasties
during the periods of the Three Kingdoms
(220-280 AD), JIN Dynasty (265-420), &
Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589).
This era immediately followed the fall of the
HAN Dynasty in 220 AD, and was an era of
disunity, instability and warfare. The era
ended when Emperor Wen of Sui reunified S.
& N. China (The Sui Dynasty began).
WESTERN JIN =
A REGIME IN THE 3RD C. THE
COUNTRY WAS SPLIT INTO 3.
AND it was united under an
ineffective regime
YUNGANG =
Is a site about 10 miles west
of WEI capital, a series of
rock-cut temples
THERAVADA BUDDHISM =
Lesser vehicle – more suited
to monastic life – one strives
to be an ARHAT = perfect
saint; practices self denial
ARHAT =
practices self denial
BODHISATTVA =
MAHAYANA BUDDHISM =
The protector of Buddha.
Ultimately triumphs over
Theravada Buddhism
Delays entry into Nirvana to help others.
Opposite to ARHAT
SUI Dynasty 581-618 CE (sway)
Sui
LONGMEN CAVES =
= 581-618 CE
(pronounced: sway) YANG
CHIEN, the “EMPEROR OF
WEN”, REUNITED CHINA. - N.
Barbarians were absorbed
into the culture; Buddhism
flourished
there are 97,000 figures in 1,352 caves.
The grottoes and niches of LONGMEN
contain the largest + most impressive
collection of Chinese ART of the late N.
WEI + TANG Dynasties – BUDDHIST
RELIGION - (It represents the high
point of Chinese stone carving.)
VAIROCANA BUDDHA
= the personification of the cosmos
TANG Dynasty 618-906 CE
TANG =
The 7th + 8th C. alliances +
military made the Tang
empire the largest on earth;
known for its aristocratic
culture. Objects on the tombs
give us an idea of the beauty
of TANGS arts.
PORCELAIN = a
powder granite rock made
into a clay, terra coda form.
Used for ceramic production
of fine upper class
sophisticated ceremony.
RUBBING =
smudging, penetrating
the wall deeply.
LI YUAN =
Declared himself emperor
in 618. The succeeding
TANG emperors were
capable and enlightened
CELADON =
(ceramics)-
PRINCESS YONG
TAI = was the
granddaughter of TANG
Emperor Gaozong + his wife
Empress Wu Zetian. High level
ceramic industry production.
XING ware
(gray-green) glaze was
developed
= it is a porcelain + a
glaze. To finish the
refined piece.
SARCOPHAGUS
COLORED GLAZES =
= A decorated stone box for
a dead body, used in
ancient times + sometimes
displayed as a monument.
A liquid that is put on
clay pots, + dried in
hot ovens, in order to
give shine surface.
Northern & Southern
SONG Dynasty 960-1279 CE
Northern Song =
A Dynasty (960-1127);
Southern Song led by
ZHAO KUANG YIN: a
powerful leadership
reestablished.
Southern Song =
(1128-1279) – Led by ZHAO
KUANG YIN: a powerful
leader, he was
reestablished.
Chan =
Buddhism School notable
for its emphasis on
Dharma practice
Bodhidharma =
Attempted to return
to what Buddha had
taught
GUO XI =
FAN KUAN =
He was a landscape excellent
painter, of 10th & 11th C. Li
Cheng follower. “Nature is a
true teacher” Recluse painter
in the rugged Qiantang
mountains of Shanxi.
HUI ZONG =
DING WARE =
(1082-1135) was the 8th most
famous emperor. Luxurious
life, tragic death. Jurchens of
the JIN dynasty invaded.
This white porcelain with
incised or impressed
designs.
Governmental or works
of literati
Cizhou ware =
Spontaneous
Mode =
Ceramics, developed in the
Song period. 11th-12th C.
Known for its kilns
Extreme radical
brush work
HANGZHOU =
Lyric Mode =
Courtly Mode =
Painter: “Early
Spring” – N. Song
11th C. hanging
scroll – not
structured nature,
but a poetic
suggestion of
nature
Evocative and emotional
painting
Monumental Mode =
Early great landscapes
A capital at the time, it moved
to Beijing later. 4th largest
metropolis area nationally
MA YUAN =
S. SONG 13th C.- referred to as “one corner
MA” because center of interest is off to
one side – this is the hallmark of the LYRIC
MODE = asymmetric balance / tensions
MU QI =
He was a monk; Greatest
practitioner of the
“SPONTANEOUS MODE”an abbreviated technique:
rapid, calligraphic
brushwork.
XIA GUI =
2nd
master of the lyric
mode. Asymmetrical style
at it’s best.
SU DONGPO =
Was a writer,
poet, artist,
calligrapher,
pharmacologist,
and statesman of
the Song Dynasty
YUAN Dynasty
MONGOLS = hordes
conquered China in
1279; they were led by
GENGHIS KHAN
1260-1368 CE
GENGHIS KHAN =
Mongol ruler that
conquered China in 1279.
The fearsome Mongolian
warrior of the 13th C.
MARCO POLO = A famous visitor,
world traveler, merchant from
Venice, Italy. Which recorded in
“Livres des merveilles du monde”,
a book which did much to
introduce Europeans to Central
Asia and China. FRA MAURO MAP
QIAN XUAN = (Artist0 –
“Squirrel on a Peach
Bough” 12th C. – washes
of color indicate forms
NI ZAN = (Artist) – “The Rongxi
Studio” 14th C. – 30” hanging
scroll. – Large amount of white
paper shows implied purity. He
used his brush marks marks
very sparely.
KUBLAI KHAN = The son of
Genghis Khan. He was the
great Khan of mongolia 1260,
Emperor of China 1280-1295.
The Mongol Empire
incorporated China to Persia,
Russia to Poland
HUANG GONGWANG =
(Artist) – “Wandering in the
Fuchun Mountains” 14th C. –
He was one of the founders of
new school of literati painting.
– less emphasis on detail,
more generalities
WANG MENG = (Artist) –
“Thatched Hills on Mount Tai”
14th C. – He reminds us that
nature can unkempt as well as
vast and ordered
MING Dynasty 1368-1644 CE
HONGWU = founding of Ming
dynasty was under a peasantborn Chinese Hongwu
WEN ZHENGMING = (Artist) –
“Lofty Leisure Beneath a Sheer
Cliff” 16th C. – later Ming painting
(1450-1644) is mostly by
members of scholarly class. He
experimented color, realistically
DONG QICHANG = (Landscape
Artist) – 17th C. “Autumn Mountains” –
He wrote a book on Chinese painting
“HUASHUO”(TALKING OF PAINTING) –
This book defined aesthetic thinking
about Chinese painting. He
established historic + stylistic periods.
DAI JIN = (Artist) – “Returning
Home at Evening” 15th C. –
Founded the Zhe School, a group
of professional / court painters
QIU YING = (Artist) – “Fishing
Boat by a Willow Bank” 16th
C. – The professional painters,
very traditional
TALKING of PAINTING = A
book by Dong Qichang. It
defined aesthetic thinking
about Chinese painting. He
established historic +
stylistic period.
QING Dynasty 1644-1911 CE
MANZHOUS (Manchus)= A group
of people, another period when
a foreign dynasty rules China.
They didn’t so much take over as
“liberate” China from Ming
ZHU DA= (Artist) – “Landscape in
Manner of Dong Yuan” 17thC. - A
Chan Buddhist, painted in an
individualistic style
GENRE= Type of style (everyday
life)
SHI TAO = (Artist) “The Peach
Blossom Spring” 17th C. He used
color in his landscape and GENRE
(everyday life) scenes
FORBIDDEN CITY= A walled
enclosure of central Beijing,
containing the palaces of 24
emperors in the Ming and Qing
dynasties.
KUN CAN= (Artist) – “Autumn
Landscape” 17th C. – Admired for
his effects of transitory light, i.e.,
by depicting sunsets in color
LANG SHINING (Castiglione) =
WANG YUANQI= (Artist) – View
of Mount Hua” 17th C. – It
represents conservative style of
Qing dynasty.
Was an Italian Jesuit trained as a
painter in Italy. One of several
European people in the Qing
court.
PAGODA= The only distinctly
Buddhist type of building. A
temple complex
18th C.
TEMPLE of HEAVEN=
FENGSHUI= a system of laws considered
to govern spatial arrangement and
orientation in relation to the flow of energy,
and whose favorable or unfavorable effects
are taken into account when sitting and
designing buildings
CHANG’AN = The Capital of Shaanxi
province, in Central China: a capital
under the HAN and Tang. Ancient
Chinese empire, it was the departure
city of the SILK ROAD to the west.
The emperor of Ming and Qing
Dynasties visited the temple
yearly in a ceremony to the gods.
Taoist temple- (a combination of
Confucianism & Buddhism)
CHINESE ARCHITECTURE
FUJIAN CLAN HOUSES = in
BRACKETING SYSTEMS = the
South-Western + Guangdong
Province. Like a village, fortress-like,
self-sufficient. Rectilinear or Circular
Structures. 13th C. or earlier, until
today. 3 Stories high, it holds 200 or
more members. Made of clay.
length of the building could be
extended easily “curtain walls”.
Horizontal Axis- a characteristic
emphasis on the width of the
buildings. Bilateral symmetry – equal
number of units on both sides from
the center. Hipped roof – 4 sloping
sides (cantilevered overhangs).
SKY WELL = Large open
courtyards in the center of a
building. Usually in the Southern
buildings
COURTYARD HOUSES =
Siheyyuan, most famously in Beijing.
It is a quadrangle surrounded by a
building, used for palaces, temples,
private homes with a sky well in the
center.
CURTAIN WALLS = system is an
outer covering of a building in which
the outer walls are non-structural,
but merely keep the weather out
and the occupants in. Lightweight
material.
HIERARCHICAL = a system of
organization in which people or
things are divided into levels of
importance
BILATERAL SYMMETRY = the
typical rectilinear plan consists of
a center unit flanked by an equal
number of units on either side of
the center thus creating a
symmetrical overall scheme
JIAN = bay – a modular unit or
space, defined by columns
HIPPED ROOF = roof that has 4
HORIZONTAL AXIS = a
characteristic emphasis on the
width of the buildings
ENCLOSURE = creation of
private space (emphasis on
interior spaces)
PAGODA = The Main Feature of a
Temple Complex. A variation of
the Tower (like Indian SHIKHARA)
HIERARCHICAL ARRANGEMENT =
Taking in consideration tribal
origins, following a tradition of
other Dynasties and past cultures.
Love the tribe form of
architecture.
GEOMANCY = practice of
architectural orientation
developed into a complex set
of concepts called (fengshui)
sloping sides
CANTILEVER = Eaves that are
FENGSHUI = (Wind + Water)
belief is adhered to based
traditional symbolic references
with four sloping sides
characterized in Chinese Style
Indigenous hierarchical
arrangement
The End
By Andre Monlleo
Spring 2014.