Bowl from Banpo

Neolithic China

c. 5000 - 2000 BC

Yangshao culture, sculpted from common clay, from coils of clay, red earthenware, found in a burial site,  figures might rep. the 4 directions, fengshui, head pattern, net pattern, painting on rims, mask = symbols of shamans, holes drilled in bowls are unknown

Burial Urn from Banshan

Neolithic China

c. 5000 - 2000 BC

Red clay, bones were found in this urn, conchshell/sawtooth design, similar marks on the rim, traits of burial urn = scalloped center motif and marked x

Jade Figurine

Shang

c. 18th - 12th c. BC

found in burial site, yellow jade, symbollic knealing = servant, perhaps early Chinese diety Nu Wa, a mermaid diety

Bronze Ding Vessel

Shang

c. 18th - 12th c. BC

curvilinear motifs throughout, decoration patterns are in relief, contains a snout, large eyes, fangs and sometimes horns, tao-tie (mask) symbols, diety/animals symbols, lei-wen spirals in the background, contains dragon figures, cicadas on the legs, symmetrical

Bronze Jue

Shang

c. 18th - 12th c. BC

vessel used to heat-up wine, contains wider intaglio lines forming the tao-tie and the kui dragon

Bronze Gu

Shang

c. 18th - 12th c. BC

drinking vessel, flanges, raised ridges, jade cicada symbols, symbols and motifs are complex and dense

Bronze Guang

Shang

c. 18th - 12th c. BC

Shape of a triple animal, more sculptural, animal shapes include: dragon, duck and owl, contains lei wen, or thunder pattern

You in the Shape of a Bear

Shang

c. 18th - 12th c. BC

pouring vessel with shape of many animals, tiger or bear, deer on its head, snake handle with its head being a boar-like animal, kui on its side, figure of the man is either in embrace or in the mouths of the beast

Inlaid Ding

Zhou

c. 12th - 3rd c. BC

Late Zhou, less symbolism, visually exciting, Ding has become more squattier with 3 pronged lid, inlaid with gold, silver, or percious semi-stone

Bronze Mirror

Zhou

c. 12th - 3rd c. BC

Back of the mirror is highly decorated, found in a burial site, astrolocial signs are common motifs, showcase of skill via depiction of warrior on the horse attacking a tiger, horse is slightly forshortened in 3/4 perspective

Calvaryman and Horse

Qin

c. 3rd c. BC

from Qin Shi Huang Di's tomb, made from clay, basically life size, stand ins from sacrificial victims therefore are realistic as possible, bodies might have been made separately from head, originally painted

Painted Banner

Han

c. 3rd c. BC - 3rd c. AD

from tomb of Lady Chung, Marquise of Dai in Mawangdui, she was burried in 4 coffins, one of the largest silk banner, symbolism is divided into the heavenly realm, earthly realm, and the underworld. top = heavenly, sun and the moon, crow = sun, toad = moon, lady in the moon mythology, middle realm might contain a portrait of lady chung, daoist theme

Rubbing of Stone Relief

Han

c. 3rd c. BC - 3rd c. AD

from Wu Family Shrine, rubbing of a stele, located outside of the family tomb, figure in the middle might be emperor Ghauzu and the Wu family bowing down, confucianist = respect, queen of the east figure on top, archer sun mythology,  on horizontal registers, shows orderly, measured = wise

Flying Horse

Han

c. 3rd c. BC - 3rd c. AD

from Tomb in Wuwei, from a tomb of a general, seen in the inscriptions, hoove is on a swallow rep. flight, energetic personlity of the horse, muscular, strong horse can run forever

Lamp in the form of a Young Girl

Han

c. 3rd c. BC - 3rd c. AD

from the tomb of Princess Dou Wan, actually a lamp, bronze w/ gold leaf, devised a smokeless lamp, similar style to Emperor Chen's tomb, twisting in space

Censer from Tomb of Prince Liu-Sheng

Han

c. 3rd c. BC - 3rd c. AD

made of bronze inlaid with gold, incense was burned in this, smoke gives a real feeling, supposed to be a mountain island in ocean, immortals on an island

Colossal Buddha

6 Dynasties

c. 3rd c. - 6th c. AD

mostly carvec out of living rock, Archaic style, series of cave temples, one out of 5 on site, niche around him = body halo = mandorla, little buddhas and boddhisattvas all around him, might rep. Vairochana Buddha = buddha of the cosmos, sim. to mathuran style w/ archaic style and smooth body, sim. to gandharan style w/ drapery

Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna

 6 Dynasties

c. 3rd c. - 6th c. AD

elongated style, alter piece, bronze cast, shakyamuni = siddhartha, prabhutaratna = first ever buddha, philosophical debate, appeals to daoist = fantasy/immortal, appeals to confucianist = discourse/ancestor, linear drapery, with sawtooth drapery, mandorla w/ pointed tip.

Standing Boddhissatva

6 Dynasties

c. 3rd c. - 6th c. AD

from Xiantangshan, columnar style emp. volume a little more, simplified line work, more clingy, defined body, much more realistic, no more archaic smile, face is much fuller and more realistic, transitiional style

Bodhisattvas from Tianlong Shan

Tang

c. 7th c. - 10th c. AD

from a cave temple, body/posture is more naturalistic, pose is varied w/ a sort of sway, proportion is pretty realistic, much more interested in the body, has nipples, a rarity, face is becoming more fleshy

11 Headed Guanyin

Tang

c. 7th c. - 10th c. AD

Esoteric buddha, to show multiple head and multiple arms, bodhissatva of compassion, so stresesed his head explodes in 11 head to Amitahba puts his head back together, more androgynous figures

Bed Scene by Gu Kaizhi

6 Dynasties

c. 3rd c. - 6th c. AD

from Admonition of the Instructress to the Palace Ladies, long handscrolls, very confucianist, correcting behaviors of the court, asusmed to be the emperor, reverse perspective, attempt to create shading

Emperor Wen Di of Chen by Yan Liben

Tang

c. 7th c. - 10th c. AD

from Emperor handscroll, much more naturalistic w/ proportions and facial features, firm even line, trend towards individual realistic portraiture in the Tang dynasty

Painting of Ladies

Tang

c. 7th c. - 10th c. AD

from Tomb of Princess Yongtai, original fresco from tomb wall, naturalistic style, variety of stances, they have clevage = a reflection of styles, tang naturalistic style, lack of interest in placement of figure in a certain space

Snow Landscape by Wang Wei

Tang

c. 7th c. - 10th c. AD

more of a poetic style, he was also a poet, album leaf ink pigment on silk, monochrome, no color to get a feeling of snow, brings a feeling of calm and unity, primitive architecture, arhaic rock formations

Rivers + Mountains in Autumn Color by Zhao Boju

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

courtly style, typ. blue/green coloring, complex linework with complex composition, more organic and realistic mountains, contains atmospheric perspective, "S" curve suggests life and dynamism = dragon vein mountain, the archaic mixed with the up-to-date

Travellers Amid Mountain + Streams by Fan Kuan

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Monumental style, hanging scroll on ink, focus = mountain, detailed, perspective is suggested by the layers, daoism: the one and the many, the one = mountain, everything else is around and part of the dao, there is sense of order/heirarchy, the travellers are only a small part of the grandness of nature, calligraphic outline w/ diff. tones of wash, raindrop cun = dotted, pointed strokes.

Early Spring by Guo Xi

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Monumental style, capturing the mood of the landscape in early spring, hanging scroll on silk, emp. on height, vertical comp, monochrome, dragon vein curve brings pers., dragon claw branches, sense of birth from the fog.

Five-colored Parakeet by Emp. Huizong

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Literal style, "fur and feather" painting, handscroll, detail in each feather, desire for realism, but lacking in overall life, composition is based on diagonals

Landscape in Rain by Ma Yuan

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Lyrical style aka Ma-Xia style, focuses a pleasures, evocative, set a mood, please the eyes rather being philosophical, hanging scroll, monochrome ink on silk, fam. w/ monumental style but a little more initimate, closer to viewer, approachable, comp. is on one side, "one-corner Ma", assymetrical, forms are more angular, axe-cut cun: brush tip on the side.

Hui Neng, the 6th Patriarch, Chopping Bamboo by Liang Kai

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Spontaneous style, quick but still detailed, single calligraphic strokes, unothodox, vehicles of enlightenment may look like doing everyday tasks, ambiguous forms/figures draws you in, meaningful illogicality, 

Triptych by Mu Qi

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

spontaneous style, simplicity, few forms w/ blank background, influence by lyrical style w/ open space, guanyin is middle = bod. of compassion, theories behind meaning: diff. religions, dao = crane, mid = Buddhism, monkey = confucianism, or stages of enlightenment, overall misty tone is related to Ma-Xia style

6 Persimmons by Mu Qi

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Spontaneous style, ink on paper, the pure simplicity of it, repetitive patterns quiets the mind, something about these that draws you in, what looks simple, the more you look it becomes intransic, focus, meditating, associated with Chan Buddhism, stem and leaf are similar to Chinese characters showcasing talent

12 Views from a Thatched hut by Xia Gui

Song

c. 10th c. - 13th c. AD

Lyrical style, rather suggestive instead of giving you everything, long handscroll, each view has an inscription that is a line of poetry that complements a view, forms are simplified

Home Again by Qian Xuan

Yuan

c. 13th c. - 14th c. AD

most famous poem of Tao Yuangmin, handscroll ink with color on paper, a lot of empty space, corner comp., pers. is off, style and coloring goes back to Tang dyn., conscious archaism = looking back to Tang classicism, illustrates Confucian virtues, realism is seen in the realistic willow tree

Autumn Colors on the Qiao + Hua Mts. by Zhao Mengfu

Yuan

c. 13th c. - 14th c. AD

wen ren (literati) = scholarly style, Archaism = return back to Tang dyn., tilted ground line w/ outlined colors, banks mountains created w/ textured strokes, calligraphic approach, painting for friend Zhou Mi, mind landscape = these two sites aren't really next to each other, heavy reliance on open paper and superb line brushwork

Bamboo by Li Kan

Yuan

c. 13th c. - 14th c. AD

shows diff. phases of life of bamboo, uses diff tonalities of ink to depict the leaves, almost excludes the stalk of the bamboo, drastically cropped the bamboo, more calligraphic approach, strength in brushwork,

Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Huang Gongwang

Yuan

c. 13th c. -14th c. AD

based on monumental style w/ suggestion of dragon vein style, textured cun = hemp-fiber cun

The Rongxi Studio by Ni Zan

Yuan

c. 13th c. - 14th c. AD

hanging scroll, tripartide landscape, sparse growing of trees, tall thin trees w/ sparse leaves, using very little ink, creating a feeling of separation + lonliness, long separation from foreground to background, how he feels, no people, trees don't touch bank, most famous of four masters, poet in painting, delicate style, crystalline cun

Dwelling in the Qingbian Mts. by Wang Meng

Yuan

c. 13th c. - 14th c AD

Antithesis of Ni Zan because he's very complex, monumental, flatter, emp on brushwork, expressing chaos, turbulence, claustophobia living in the Yuan, varieties of brushtextures that are original and complex but not so natualistic.