Art

Tripod Ritual Vessel: 

Tripod Ritual Vessel Date: Shang dynasty Medium: Bronze This three-lobed vessel is cast in flat relief with three t'ao-tieh masks comprising the chief decoration. The tripod is a good example of a Shang bronze ritual vessel whose basic shape evolved from Neolithic and early Bronze Age ceramics like the one shown to the right.

Pendant in the Form of a Dragon: 

Pendant in the Form of a Dragon Date: 475-221 B.C. Medium: Translucent green jade

Female "Long Sleeve" Dancer: 

Female "Long Sleeve" Dancer Date: Western Han dynasty Medium: Earthenware Many types of pottery dancing figures have been retrieved from Han tombs, but examples of this large size with finely sculpted naturalistic details, are relatively rare. The performance of ritual dance during Han was a court prerogative, and the number of dancers permitted to each noble was regulated according to his rank and merit.This thin elegant dancer is dressed in the traditional shen-i garment; long and layered robes with oversized sleeves. She captures the stately motion and austere spirit of the "sleeve-tossing dance" style (chang-hsiu wu) which featured a continuous, controlled and coordinated movement of the long sleeves.The Han dynasty writer Ch'ang Hung (78-139) described this dance form in one of his poems: Their vermilion slippers danced between plates and goblets And they waved their long, dangling sleeves With a curvaceous, cultivated bearing Their lovely dresses fluttered like flowers in the wind.

Spirit Jar (hun ping): 

Spirit Jar (hun ping) Date: late 3rd century Medium: Yueh ware Porcelaneous stoneware with olive green glaze Large, extensively decorated burial jars like this have been recovered in recent decades. Limited to the area south of the Yangtze River in the Northern Chekiang and Southern Kiangsu province, they represent a vessel type and burial practices specific to this region. Made without lids, the jars display an extremely rich assortment of molded figures, animals, and architecture in a tiered arrangement comprising their upper portions.The jars were most likely placed in the tomb so the soul of the deceased would have a place to reside. This accounts for a palace-like structure with entrance gates facing the four directions. The various figures at the top most likely represent Taoist immortals who somehow aided in the afterlife.

Exalted Gathering in the Green Woods: 

Exalted Gathering in the Green Woods Date: c.1620 Medium: Ink and colors on paper This rare portrait of a literary gathering depicts Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (1555-1636), one of the most important personalities in the history of Chinese art, at the far right. Next to him stands his close friend Ch'en Chi-ju (1558-1639). To the left of Ch'en, the scholars Wang Chih-teng (1535-1612), Chang Feng-i (1550-1636), and Chao Huang-kuang (1559-1625) are shown playing the ch'in. The monk Yen T'ien-ch'ih (17th century) and Chu-hung (1535-1615) appear to the left of them. The men are gathered around a large tai-hu rock to listen to ch'in music, examine scrolls, and to converse. These historic figures epitomize the literati ideal. They were all trained in Confucian classics, some served the state as scholar officials, and all played the reclusive role of retired gentlemen. They defined Ming literati tastes through their painting, calligraphy, music, writing of poetry, carving seals, and collecting of ancient rubbings.Sensitive to literati pictorial taste, the painter used muted colors and exhibited a variety of brush strokes and a naïve sense of space. The title colophon, composed of five beautifully balanced characters, is signed by Tung himself, the great literatus who created a new artistic and cultural synthesis in the seventeenth century. There are seven attached colophons ranging in date from 1762 to the early twentieth century.

Boy Leading an Ox Along the Farm Path: 

Boy Leading an Ox Along the Farm Path Date: Southern Sung dynasty Medium: Ink and colors on silk Taoists saw in the buffalo and herdsman theme the basic elements of nature and its rhythms. In Chan Buddhist literature during the Sung period, the pair appear as a metaphor for the path to enlightenment. Twelfth and thirteenth-century academic painters popularized the theme, rendering the subject in soft colors and meticulously laid ink outlines like those seen here. Buddhist and Taoist symbolism aside, this small fan painting can also be read as a lyrical portrayal of rural existence.Using a rather extreme aerial perspective, the artist provides a detailed scene of a boy leading a buffalo home at dusk along a river or large canal. They walk on an elevated path that is part of the dike system forming the rice paddies to their left. While at first glance this small fan painting seems a poetic interpretation of agrarian life, it also symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man, animal, and nature espoused by the Taoists. The artist has skillfully condensed a remarkably wide panorama of varied landscape into only a few inches of silk.

The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin: 

The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin Date: Late 11th-early 12th century Medium: Wood, gesso, and mineral pigments, and gold Bodhisattvas are Buddhist deities who have forgone entrance into Nirvana until that time when all beings have attained enlightenment. In China, Kuan-yin became the most popular bodhisattva and was widely worshipped as the deity of mercy and compassion.This magnificent example from north China is constructed of removable wooden sections that still retain traces of original pigment. The sculptural style is naturalistic, detailed, and fully three-dimensional. Several sections of the robes exhibit fine textile patterns executed in gold leaf, the eyes are inlaid crystal, and the original painted mustache is still clearly evident. The image is attired in the sumptuous silk garments and gold jewelry befitting a bodhisattva. The elaborate hairstyle was originally encased by a gilt metal crown now missing.Seated cross-legged in the lotus position (vajrasana), both hands turn up with thumbs touching the middle fingers in the gesture of discourse or argumentation (varada mudra). Carved during the last creative epoch of Chinese Buddhist sculpture, this splendidly attired image expresses the new humanism of the day while capturing the gentle, benign calm of near enlightenment.

Book of Sudhana from the Garland Sutra: 

Book of Sudhana from the Garland Sutra Date: Ming dynasty Medium: Woodblock print on paper The final chapter of the Garland Sutra (Hua yan ching) was considered essential reading for all Buddhists. It concerns the Indian boy Sudhana who, while searching for knowledge of the Buddhist law, sought advice from 53 different bodhisattvas. Finally, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra taught him his ten great compassionate vows and how to fulfill them in order to attain enlightenment.This woodblock printed edition features a printed frontispiece in which a large seated Buddha is shown surrounded by thirty followers. Following the frontispiece is a colophon wishing prosperity and long life to the emperor. The seventy pages of text contains three large red temple seals. On the final page is an illustration of the guardian figure Wei tuo-tian.

Verse in Cursive Script: 

Verse in Cursive Script Artist: Chieh Chin Date: c.1410 Medium: Ink on paper The early Ming calligrapher Chieh Chin passed his first degree civil service exam (hsueh shih) but eventually withdrew from official service and lived for a while as a monk. His robust and energetic calligraphy was highly prized. The exceptionally fluid characters, "dragged-ink" strokes, and well-modulated brushwork of this scroll reveal an incredible control of brush and ink and an individualistic spirit that was highly admired by calligraphers and literati of the late Ming period. His twenty-eight character verse reads: The mountain's rocky girth has endured a thousand years, A day has never passed without dragons and oceans, Beneath heaven a verdant earth awaits benevolence, Not knowing if clouds will settle here. Chieh Chin

Bamboo and Rocks: 

Bamboo and Rocks Artist: Hsieh Cheng Date: c.1760 Medium: Ink on paper Cheng Hsieh was born in Hsing-hua near Yang-chou. Although his family lived in genteel poverty, Cheng was a good student and passed the highest government exams in 1736. He studied and produced poetry, calligraphy, and painting while ably serving as district magistrate in Shantung province. Undisciplined, outspoken, and passionate about public service, Cheng resigned in frustration in 1753 and established himself as a distinctive member of the group known as the Eight Eccentrics of Yang-chou. He is best known as an artist who closely integrated calligraphy with orchid and bamboo paintings. His poem reads: Bamboo and rock stand paired alone in harmony The multitudes of plants and flowers are in vain Spring, summer and autumn cannot transform them. Only the elegant plum has greater virtue. Wooden Bridge Cheng Hsieh

Slide11: 

"The Hall of the Taihe Dian, the main hall of the Forbidden City, is 27 m (90 ft) high, 64 m (210 ft) wide and 37 m (120 ft) deep. It has a roof with double eaves and is decorated with carved dragons and phoenixes, most of which are gilded. The building is raised on a three-tiered terrace, 8 m (26 ft) high, enclosed by marble balustrades, whilst those around the same courtyard were kept lower so as to set off the magnificence of the hall."The red walls, pillars and yellow glazed roof-tiles, and the dougong and beams decorated with dark-green designs of dragons, phoenixes and geometric figures, are conspicuous against the grey background of Beijing. Begun in 1406, the fourth year of the reign of Yongle (Ming dynasty), the City was completed fourteen years later; partial reconstruction took place during the period of the Qing dynasty. Twenty-four emperors lived in and ruled China from the Forbidden City over nearly 500 years."

Imperial Throne: 

Imperial Throne Date: Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung period Medium: Polychrome lacquer over a softwood frame Made during the Ch'ien-lung period (1736-95), this rare piece of court furniture is one of the larger and more fully decorated thrones outside of China. Few lacquered thrones have dragons and celestial landscapes like those found here painted in gold lacquer across the entire expanse of the seat. The composition and iconography of the five-clawed imperial dragons cavorting amongst clouds and flaming pearls above the ocean is an official insignia and is similar to the decoration of court robes and other official court textiles of the period. The cabriole legs, aprons, and openwork back and side panels are all carved in relief with scrolls and lacquered in green, red, and gold. The panels of the removable back and side rails are decorated with stylized dragons and shou medallions emblematic of imperial rule and long life.

Empress's Twelve-Symbol Robe: 

Empress's Twelve-Symbol Robe Date: Ch'ing dynasty Medium: Yellow satin, emboridered with silk and gold threads

Blue-and-White Dish: 

Blue-and-White Dish Date: Yuan dynasty Medium: Porcelain with molded and underglaze blue decor, Ching-te-chen ware Imported Chinese blue-and-white strongly influenced Middle Eastern ceramic traditions. This magnificent plate was produced in the great ceramic town of Ching-te-chen in southern China specifically for the Middle Eastern market. Near the beginning of the blue-and-white tradition, Middle Eastern merchants living in China, who understood the ceramic needs and decorative taste of the Islamic countries, most likely commissioned works like this. It was, for example, the custom to serve food from large plates in Islamic countries but not in China. Likewise, the foliate rim and the densely painted floral decor executed with imported "Mohammadan blue" (cobalt oxide) were aimed specifically at Middle Eastern taste, which the Chinese considered somewhat vulgar during the fourteenth century.

Pillow: 

Pillow Artist: Li Family Workshop Date: Sung-Chin dynasty Medium: Tz’u-chou ware Stoneware with painted designs on white slip These "sages" were historical figures who lived in the environs of Lo-yang during the third century following the fall of the Han dynasty. In the popular mythology that developed around them, they became prototype symbols of scholarly resolve, Taoist reclusion, gentlemanly accomplishments and self-indulgence. The theme of the reclusive sage was repeated in literature and the visual arts throughout most succeeding dynasties. The scholarly subject matter would have been recognizable to an educated Chinese, the type of individual for whom this pillow was probably intended.The bottom of the pillow is impressed with a seal bearing three characters which read "made by the Li family" (Li chia tsao). Rectangular pillows from Tz'u-chou with stamped or brushed inscriptions mention the Chang, Wang, Chen and Li family workshops. Based on the number of surviving pillows, the Chang family dominated the market during the thirteenth century while examples of the Li family are the most rare.

Official Seal: 

Official Seal Date: Han dynasty Medium: Gilt bronze The size of this seal as well as its inscription indicate that it was probably used to stamp official rather than personal documents. Several tortoise form seals have been excavated from Han tombs, suggesting that this animal, which symbolized longevity, was already a popular motif among the educated class. This seal bears the inscription Tai-shou Chang lui Huai. Lui Huai appears to be a place name meaning overlooking the Huai river, while Chang is the official's surname, and Tai-shou his official title.

Cricket Container: 

Cricket Container Date: Ch'ing dynasty; Jianqing period Medium: Gourd with heat-incised decoration, ivory and tortoise-shell The Chinese have long enjoyed the sound of crickets. During the Tang dynasty (618-907), people began keeping crickets in their homes, and by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), it had become a scholarly pastime. By the eighteenth century, many writings existed describing the different varieties of crickets and their care. During the winter months, crickets were kept in gourd containers like this, which were warmer than the ceramic ones used in summer. This gourd has an engraved design burnt into the surface with a heated stylus. The outdoor scene depicts a group of scholars enjoying tea and discussing books.

Cosmetic Case and Mirror Stand: 

Cosmetic Case and Mirror Stand Date: Ming dynasty Medium: Huang-hua-li hardwood Distinguished by its imposing size, this spectacular mirror stand demonstrates the decorative tradition of Ming style furniture. The back simulates a five-panel screen of the type used as the backdrop for thrones. The panels each have dragon-head terminals and their openwork carving is decorated with sinuous dragons and phoenixes amid clouds. The drawers are embellished with auspicious flowers and phoenixes while the railing posts terminate in dragons and lotus blossoms. A round mirror would have been supported on the s-shaped easel whose central openwork panel displays a four-clawed, horned dragon. Extensive use of highly detailed imperial imagery in aristocratic huang-hua-li furniture is rare, and it may be that this exceptional dressing table cabinet once belonged to a woman of the royal household. The chest is fitted with five deep drawers made entirely of huang-hua-li. They would have provided ample storage for hairpins, combs, and cosmetics.