Prehistoric Art
Title: Jowo Rinpoche, enshirined the Jokhang temple
Architect: Unknown
Date: 641 CE
Period/ Culture: Yarlug Dynasty
Location: Lhasa, Tibet
Scale: Unknown
Patron: Unknown
Materials: Gilt metals with semi precious tones, pearls, and paint.
Techniques: Metalwork
Intended Audience: Anyone who visited the Jokhang Temple
This is the most sacred statue in Tibet as it is said that this statue was personally blessed by the Buddha. It is enshrined in the Jokhang Temple, which was Tibet’s earliest and foremost Buddhist temple. The temple was founded in 647 CE by the first ruler of the newly unified Tibet. “Jowo” means lord and “khang” means house. TIbetans pray to this statue before they die because it is believed that the statue has the power to transform their souls and help them at the time of their death. Many relatives of dying people also give offerings to the statue. The statue is also meant to change a person’s negative energy to positive energy, this is called “liberation through seeing” as no worship or mantra is needed to receive positive energy.
Title: Terracotta Warriors from Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor of China
Architect: Unknown
Date: 221-209 BCE
Period/ Culture: Qin Dynasty
Location: Lingtong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi
Scale: Larger than the average man at the time
Patron: Emperor Qin Shihuang
Materials: Terracotta and Clay
Techniques: First assembly style production
Intended Audience: Emperor
Throughout the site, there are thousands of terracotta warriors, each with their unique, indiviual face and clothign. There are also terracotta horses and chariots; jewelry, silver, and gold ornaments along with bronze ritual vesels. The emperor was afraid people would steal from his burial site, he sealed the gate, and all of the artisans and laborers died. Only four pits have been excavated, one of which had nothing (planned to be larger) Qin Shihuang was put into thorne at 13 years old and from their planned his burial. He was obsessed with the idea of immortality (He drank mercury thinking it gave lfie powers). He created the underground palace that included over 7,000 warriors, chariots, and horses to protect him.
Title: Terracotta Army Detail
Architect: Artisons,laborers and craftsmen
Date: 210-209 BCE
Period/ Culture: N/A
Location: Lintong district, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
Scale: Lifesize
Patron: Qin Shi Huang
Materials: Terracotta and clay
Techniques: Assembly line production
Intended Audience: Qin Shi Huang
The height of each figure is based on their heirarchy. Others include warriors, chariots and horses. There was found to be more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. Nonmilitary figures were also found (officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians).The parts were created separately then assembled together. 8 face molds were used and then clay was added to create the more diverse facial features of each figure. Workshops that made the figures were inscribed onto the figures for quality control. Later the figures were placed based on military formation according to rank and duty. Originally the figures were painted with different colors (pink, red, green, blue, black, white, and lilac. Most figures held real weapons (spears, swords, crossbows), but they were stolen. Some of the weapons had a coating of chromium dioxide to prevent rusting.
Title: Funeral Banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhou)
Artist: Unknown
Date: 180 BCE
Period/ Culture: Han Dynasty
Location: Mawangdui, Hunan Province
Scale: 205 x 92 and 47.7 cm
Patron: Marquis of Dai or whoever oragnized the funeral
Materials: Paint, Silk
Techniques: Paint on Silk
Intended Audience: Marquis Dai (Xin Zhou)
Heavenly realm- There are two guards at the gate. Above is a deity who has a human head and dragon body. There is a toad standing on a crescent moon and a three legged crow in a pink sun (The moon and the sun are symbols of a supernatural realm). Lady Dai and her Attendants- Lady Dai stands in a silk robe,with her staff. She is on a platform with her servants. Dragons frame the scene as their bodies go through a bi (disc with a hole that represents the sky/ heaven). This scene is in her afterlife, ascending toward the heavens. Body of Lady Dai with Mourners - There are sacrificial funerary rituals (vessels for food and wine in the mourning hall. The Underworld-The underworld has two giant black fish, a red snake, a pair of blue goats, and an unidentified earthly deity. The deity appears to hold up the floor of the mourning hall while two fish cross to form a circle beneath him.
Title: Longmen Caves
Architect: Unknown
Date: 493- 1127 CE
Period/ Culture: Tang Dynasty
Location: Luoyang, China
Scale: Over 1km in length
Patron: Emperor Ziaowen and Empress Wuzetian
Materials: Limestone
Techniques: Carving into limestorne cliffs, some were painted orginally
Intended Audience: Buddhist
There are nearly 2,300 caves and niches carved into the limestone cliffs.There are about 110,000 buddhist stone statues, over 60 stupas, and 2,800 inscriptions on steles.Served as an important pilgrimage destination for over five hundred years, and during that period it received numerous foreign and domestic visitors and dignitaries.
Title: Detail from Longmen Caves
Architect: Unknown
Date: 493 BCE- 1127 CE
Period/ Culture: Tang Dynasty
Location: Luoyang, China
Scale: 1km
Patron: Sponsored by Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian
Materials: Limestone
Techniques: Sculpting, Masonry
Intended Audience: Anyone who visits (Buddhist)
This detail is part of the Fengxian Temple. The Vairocana Buddha is central and is surrounded on both sides, by a monk, a bodhisattva, a king, and a vajrapani (thunderbolt holder). They are his attendants. Buddha is arranged as if on an altar of the temple. He is similar to the primeval Buddha and Buddhist cosmology. The figures on his left side are relaxed.This detail has the characteristics of the Buddha and he is also the most important deity. It reflects the Tang Dynasty’s politics because Buddha is viewed as the most important deity.
Title: Longmen Caves
Architect: Unknown
Date: 492-1127
Period/ Culture: Tang Dynasty
Location: Luoyang, China
Scale: 1km
Patron: Emperor Gaozong ad Empress Wu
Materials: Limestone
Techniques: High relief sculpture
Intended Audience: Buddhist
These figures are on Buddha’s right side. The first figure is one of the four heavenly kings. The Vaisravana and the Vajrapani have more animation and aggressiveness. The Vaisravana holds a stupa in his right hand which indicates one of the four heavenly kings. He also stands on an earth spirit for support.These are the Buddha’s heavenly guardians and they are spiritual beings. It depicts Chinese deities.
Title: Fold and Jade Crown
Artist: Unknown
Date: 400-500 CE
Period/ Culture: Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom
Location: Gyeongjy, National Museum, Korea
Scale: 10 2/4 inches high
Patron: Unknown
Materials: Gold
Techniques: Metalwork
Intended Audience: Royalty of the Silla Kingdom
It is a “headband type” of the two common burial crowns at this time. It is shaped like a tree. There are three distinctly tree shaped elements in this crown that remind the viewer of a sacred tree in the Silla capital. The sacred tree that this crown was based off of was thought of as an axis mundi. There are also two antler like shapes coming off of the crown that may symbolize the native reindeer of this part of Korea. The tiny gold discs and pieces of jade attached to the crown are called “gogok”. They are supposed to symbolize ripe pieces of fruit hanging, representing fertility and natural abundance. It was originally believed that these crowns were specifically burial crowns because of how thin and fragile the gold was, but they may be for ceremonial rites for the Silla royalty.
Title: Travelers among Mountains and Streams
Artist: Fan Kuan
Date: 100 CE
Period/ Culture: Daoism, Early song Dynasty
Location: Currently- Taipei, Taiwan
Scale: 206.3 cm by 103.3 cm
Patron: Unknown
Materials: Ink and silk (hanging scroll)
Techniques: Painting, ink washing
Intended Audience: Daoists
This is a Chinese landscape painting. In the foreground are large boulders. The brushwork is detailed because it brings out the rocks and the trees, indicating their exact position. and the trees are tangled. A long waterfall on the right is balanced by the mountain on the left, and it accents the height of the mountain. There is a very small detail where two men are guiding a group of donkeys in the foreground and there is another detail in the background, on the waterfall, a small temple. Both of these details are hard to see. Contour strokes were used to model the mountains and he used ink wash to create mists. Dots were used for texture.Fan Kuan shows his inspiration and love of nature. A landscape like this would not be normally seen this way because he painted with his own ideas.
Title: David Vases
Architect: Unknown
Date: 100 CE
Period/ Culture: Yuan Dynasty
Location: Jingdezhen
Scale: 63.6 by 20.7 cm
Patron: Daoist temple in Xingyuan for General Hu Jingyi
Materials: White porcelain, cobalt blue
Techniques: Cermaics, underglazing
Intended Audience: Hu Jingyi
The two vases were fired in an incense burner which hasn’t been found. There is a long inscription on the neck of one of the vases, which is dedicated to General Hu Jingyi because he was considered a holy god. The date is May 13th, 1351. They are named after Sir Percival David, a collector of Chinese Art. The vases have necks and bottoms. On the necks and bottoms are flower motifs. In the middle are dragons with long bodies, claws, and scales, and there are more flower motifs. They were modeled after bronze vases. The handles are elephant-head shaped. The David Vases were an offering to a general and a Daoist temple. They were originally altar vases.
Title: Portrait of Sinkju
Architect: Royal Bureau of Painting
Date: 4117-1475
Period/ Culture: Joeson Dynasty
Location: South Korea
Scale: 206.3 cm by 103.3 cm
Patron: Unknown
Materials: Scroll, Ink and Color
Techniques: Ink and color painted onto silk scroll
Intended Audience: Sukju and his family
Sing Sukju is sitting in the enter in a green robe. His feet rest on a stool (a sign of heirarchy). The function was to depict Sink Sukju as a meritorious subject , or an official honored for his distinguished service at court and loyalty to the king during that time. It was for political proproganda and ancestral worship purposes.
Title: Forbidden City
Architect: Nguyen An
Date: 15th Century
Period/Culture: Ming Dynasty
Location: Beijing, China
Scale: 961 by 753 meters
Patron: Ming Emperor Yongle
Materials: Stone and Tile
Techniques: Architecture
Intended Audience: Government Officials and visitors
The Meridian Gate is located at the south end and served as the main entrance. The gate opens to a courtyard paved with white marble stones in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony. From there it opens into an even larger courtyard that houses three ceremonial halls. First the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where , on the most important state occasions, the emperor sat on his throne. Next is the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Protecting Harmony. The outer court was meant for ceremonies. The inner court is where the emperor and family lived. It’s balance and symmetry of the plan of the Forbidden City reflects ancient Chinese beliefs about the harmony of the universe, and it emphasizes the emperor’s role as the son of Heaven.
Title: Front Gate of the Forbidden City/ Tiananmen
Architect: Unknown
Date: 1420 BCE
Period/Culture: Ming to Qing Dynasty
Location: Beijing, China
Scale: 66m x 37m x 32 m
Patron: Emperor Yongle
Materials: Stone, Tile
Techniques: Architecture
Intended Audience: Imperial Officers and visitors
It is the entrance to the imperial city, in which the Forbidden City is located in. In the front are 2 lions standing in front of the gate (they are believed to protect humans from evil spirits. There are also two stone columns (huabiao) with animals on top. Western wall placard reads “Long Live the People’s Republic of China” and Eastern reads “Long Live the Great Unity of the World’s People’s”. In the center is a portrait of Mao Zedong, but before different people were there.
Title: Hall of Supreme Harmony
Architect: Unknown
Date: 15th Century BCE
Period/Culture: Ming Dynasty
Location: Beijing China
Scale: Pretty Big
Patron: Yashovarman
Materials: Wood, Marble, Stoen, Tile
Techniques: Architecture
Intended Audience: Imperial Officers and Visitors
The hall is located behind the Gate of Supreme Harmony. It is built on a marble stone base and surrounded by bronze incense burners. It is nine bays wide and five bays deep (9 and 5 are connected to the Emperor).The six pillars nearest the throne are covered in gold, and the entire area is decorated with dragon motif. The imperial Dragon Throne has five dragons coiled around the back and handrests. There is a screen behind it that features sets of nine dragons. In the ceiling above the throne is a caisson (a sunken panel set into a usually flat ceiling). It is decorated with a coiled dragon, from its mouth comes a chandelier.the Emperor held court there to discuss the state of affairs. In the Ming Dnasty, the emperor held court to discuss affairs. Now it is used for ceremonies.
Title: The Palace of Tranquility
Architect: Unknown
Date: 18th Century
Period/Culture: Ming Dynasty
Location: Beijing China
Scale: 2 acres
Patron: Qianglong
Materials: Paint, Stone, Wood
Techniques: Architecture
Intended Audience: Qianlong
In the interior, the walls are painted with mountains, gardens, and views of the palace. The ceiling are painted as bamboo with vines growing in. The bamboo in the painting connects harmoniously with the "bamboo" fences. The floor is decorated with pale pink details.There is an indoor pavilion-shaped stage. The blue doors and mirror create symmetry, which is important for harmony. Originally the palace was a place of retirement but it never fulfilled that duty, because he kept some rule. It became a testament to the significance the Qianlong Emperor placed on honoring his grandfather, and Confucian thoughts and filial obligations for rulers that preceded him. This retirement palace was built as an important cultural and political statement, and as gesture of solidarity with Chinese social mores anti-Qing sentiment.
Title: Plan of the Forbidden City
Architect: Unknown
Date: 15th Century
Period/Culture: Ming Dynasty
Location: Beijing China
Scale: Quite Large
Patron: Emperor Yong
Materials: N/A
Techniques: Architecture
Intended Audience: Imperial Officers and Visitors
The Forbidden City is surrounded by a moat, inside the outer wall is 10 meters high. Apparently the bricks have rice and the cement has rice and egg whites for strength... Inside are five halls, 17 palaces, and many other buildings. They like to say they have 9,999 rooms, but really it is 9000. The rationale for it having 9,99 rooms is because the city was built on Earth, and haveing 10,00 wood mean heaven since 10,000 represents infinity. Th doors and gardens are decorated with 9 rows of bolts. At the southern end is the Meridian Gate and the outer court. At the northern end is the Gate of Supreme Might and the inner court. The east and west sides have minor gates. On the four corners of the courtyard walls, there are towers.
Title: Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan
Artist: Liu Cunchua
Date: 1969 CE
Period/ Culture: Cultural Revolution Dynasty
Location: Anyuan District
Scale: 106 x 76 CE
Patron: Unknown
Materials: Canvas and Paint
Techniques: Lithography
Intended Audience: Non- Communist
The poster-like lithograph has vivid colors, and a dramatic political message. Mao Zedong is young and has a determined and heroic look on his face. He wears a long robe carrying an umbrella in his hand while walking to the Anyuan coal mine in the western Jiangxi Province. It depicts a moment in time when he went on a miners’ strike (wages, conditions, education) in 1922, and it was successful. Miners and Railway workers were suffering and Mao wanted to reform the working conditions. It is a political work of art that depicts Mao Zedong as a leader. Many saw communism as a bad thing, and showing that a communist did something good is a form of propaganda. (Like the Medici Cycle)