10-+Chinese+Art+before+1280

Chinese Art Before 1280 By: Sir Elliot Greenfield

Painted banner- from the tomb of the wife of the Marquis of Dai; Han Dynasty 160 BCE __**C**____**HINA**__ BRONZE CHINA AGE Piece- mold casting- To make a bronze vessel, a clay model of the bronze vessel-to-be had to be fashioned. When it hardened, soft clay was pressed against it, taking on the negative impression of both its shape and decoration. These clay pieces were removed in sections to form the piece-molds. The model was then shaved down to become the core ( the walls of the bronze vessel would exactly equal in thickness this layer that had been shaved off). The piece-molds were then reassembled around the core. Molten bronze would then be poured into the space between the mold and the core. After cooling, the mold pieces were removed. Pre-cast appendages were often inserted into the core-mold assemblage before casting; when the vessel was produced, they became locked into place as the metal was poured in.

SHANG DYNASTY Oracle- Shang priests communicated with the supernatural world through oracle bones. Ritual Bronzes- Shang tombs reveal a warrior culture of great splendor and violence.

They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China Proper" in the Yellow River valley. According to the chronology based upon calculations by someone named Liu Xin, the Shang ruled between 1766 BC and 1122 BC, but according to the chronology based upon the Bamboo Annals, they ruled between 1556 BC and 1046 BC. According to historical tradition, the Shang Dynasty followed the Xia Dynasty and preceded the Zhou Dynasty.

ZHOU DYNASTY Wax Casting- A type pof casting which had replaced Piece-Mold Casting.

The Zhou Dynasty followed the Shang Dynasty and was followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history — though the actual political and military control of China by the dynasty only lasted during the Western Zhou period. During the Zhou Dynasty, the use of iron was introduced to China, while this period of Chinese history produced what many consider the zenith of Chinese bronze-ware making.

QIN DYNASTY Mausoleum- an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosin g the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons.

During its reign over China, the Qin Dynasty achieved increased trade, improved agriculture, and military security. This was due to the abolition of landowning lords, to whom peasants had formerly held allegiance. The central government now had direct control of the masses, giving it access to a much larger workforce. This allowed for the construction of ambitious projects, such as a wall on the northern border, now known as the Great Wall of China. The Qin Dynasty also introduced several reforms: currency, weights and measures were standardized, and a better system of writing was established.

HAN DYNASTY Bi- Two intertwined dragons loop through a circular jade piece.

The Han Dynasty was an age of economic prosperity and saw a significant growth of the money economy first established during the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050–256 BCE). The coinage issued by the central government mint in 119 BCE remained the standard coinage of China until the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE).

NARRATIVES Attributed to Gu Kaizhi- Detail of Admonitions of the Imperial Instructress to Court Ladies

-This illustration depicts the courage of Lady Feng. An escaped circus bear rushes toward her husband, a Han emperor, who is filled with fear. Only Lady Feng is calm as she rushes forward to place herself between the beast and the emperor. The style of the painting is typical of the fourth century. -The brush strokes have a very thin width line. The facial features are very well depicted. EMotion flows through Lady Feng's face all the way to her flowing dress. -The painting was painted on silk. This is a chinese material. It is also a handscroll ( a long, narrow, horizontal composition, compact enough to be held in ones hands when rolled up).

The Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha

-This piece of art is extremely detailed. -This shows Amitabha Buddha seated in the center of the artwork. He is surrounded by four bodhisattvas who serve as his messengers around the world. There are two on each side of him. -All around are different musicians and dancers the intensify the atmosphere of the artwork. This worldly vision of paradise, is recorded with great attention to naturalism in the architectural setting. This gives the best visualization of the splendor of Tang civilization at a time when Chang'an was probably the greatest city in the world. -This was a wall painting in Cave 217 (Dunhuang, Gansu)

ARCHITECTURE Great Wild Goose Pagoda at Ci'en Temple Xi'an

- Constructed in 645 CE for the famous monk Xuanzang on his return from a 16 year old pilgrimage to India. -This pagoda structure is a typical East Asian Buddhist structure which originated in the Indian Buddhist stupa. - The walls are decorated in low relief to resemble bays, and bracket systems are reproduced under the projecting roofs of each story. - Modified 5 times (2 stories have been added and a new finial has been added). - Shows symmetry, simplicity, proportions, and grace.

Nanchan Temple, Wutaishan

- One of the few structures earlier than 1400 to have survived. - Located on Mount Wutai in the eastern part of Shanxi province, this small hall was constructed in 782 CE. - The tiled roof, first seen in the Han tomb model, has taken on a surved silhouette. - Bay construction in which a cubic unit of space, a bay, is formed by four posts and their lintels.

2-D WORKS

Seated Buddha, Cave 20, Yungang Datong

- Carved in the latter part of the fifth century by imperial decree of a ruler of the Northern Wei dynasty, the longest-lived and most stable of the northern kingdoms. - The front part of the cave has crumbled away, and the 45-foot statue, now exposed to the open air, is clearly visible from a distance. - The elongated ears, protuberance on the head, and monk's robe are traditional attributes of the Buddha. - The image of the Buddha became increasingly formal and unearthly as it traveled east from its origins, reflecting a fundamental difference in the way the Chinese and the Indians visualize their deities.

Camel Carrying a Group of Musicians - Reflects the Tang fascination with the "exotic" Turkic cultures of Central Asia - The three bearded musicians are central asian, while the two smooth-shaven ones are Han Chinese. - Two-humped Bactrian camels, themselves exotic Central Asian "visitors," were beasts of burden in the caravans that crisscrossed the Silk road. - Stylistically, the statue reveals a new interest in naturalism. - Tang uses more expression and gesture then Qin. - Produced by the thousands for Tang tombs. - Three color glaze technique was a specialty of Tang ceramicists. - Usually from a palette of amber, yellow, green, and white.

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