CHINESE AND KOREAN ART BEFORE 1279

1. CHINESE AND KOREAN ART BEFORE 1279

2. China-Middle Kingdom -the name China comes from the name of the Middle Kingdom Qin (pronounced Chin) -China occupies the center of Asia and contains one fifth of the World’s population

3. Neolithic cultures -Early Archaeological findings led scholars to think Chinese agriculture came from near east however, later findings prove that agriculture based on rice and millet arose independently in East Asia -clearest archaeological signs of Neolithic culture in China=evidence of vigorous emergence of towns/cities -at Jiangzhai (near modern Xi’an), foundations of more than 100 dwellings have been discovered

4. Neolithic Cultures-painted pottery cultures -shallow red bowl with a turned out rim(found in the village of Banpo near the Yellow River) -surfaces are highly polished, perfectly round when the potter’s heel had not been developed -marks on the rim=evidence of beginnings of writing in China -inside the bowl, a pair of stylized fish Shallow red bowl with a turned out rim (Banpo, near Xi’an.Neolithic period. Yangshao culture. Between 5000-4000 BCE)

5. Shang Dynasty -traditional Chinese histories tell of three bronze age dynasties : Xia, Shang, and the Zhou -society was highly stratified, with a ruling group that had the bronze technology needed to make weapons -maintained authority by claiming power as intermediaries between the supernatural and human realms -nature and fertility spirits were honored. Regular sacrifices were believed necessary to keep the spirits of dead ancestors alive so that they might help the living -shang priests communicated with the supernatural world through the oracle bones -oracle bones (animal bone or piece of tortoiseshell) -question was inscribed and burned. Cracks would form and they would be analyzed/interpreted -contain the earliest known form of Chinese writing

6. Ritual Bronzes -many humans and animals were sacrificed to accompany the deceased -tombs contain hundreds of jade, ivory, and lacquer objects, gold and silver ornaments, and bronze vessels. -enormous scale of shang burials=great wealth of civilization and power of ruling class -bronze vessels=most admired and studied of shang artifacts -Fang Ding is a square vessel with four legs. One of hundreds of vessels recovered from the royal tombs near their last of the shang capitals. -surface is decorated with a complex array of images based on animal forms

7. Zhou Dynasty Laozi -around 1100 BCE, Shang were conquered by the Zhou from W. China -feudal system developed with nobles related to the king ruling over numerous small states -supreme deity=Tian (or heaven, king ruled as son of heaven) -first 300 years of the longest Chinese dynasty was generally stable and peaceful -states grew increasingly independent -weaker states got conquered by larger, more powerful ones -Spring and Autumn period (722-481 BCE, 10-11 states emerged as powers) -against constant turmoil, great philosophers arose – Confucius, Laozi, and Mozi. Mozi Confucius

8. Bronze Bells -Ritual bronze objects continued to play an important role during the Zhou dynasty -one of most spectacular recent discoveries= sixty five bronze bells found in tomb of Marquis Yi -each bell is precisely calibrated to sound two tones -music might have been used to communicate with the supernatural in rituals -coffin of Marquis, painted guardian warrior with half human, half animal attributes -Marquis must have been a great lover of music, more than 15000 musical instruments in tomb

9. The Chinese empire: Qin Dynasty -middle of third century BCE, state of Qin launched military campaigns that led to its triumpph over other states by 221 BCE -for first time in its history, china was united under a single ruler -first emperor=Qin Shihuangdi (Exceptional ability, power, and ruthlessness) -sought immortality throughout his life, feared assassination and rebellion -even before uniting china, he began creating his own mausoleum at lintong. -the project continued throughout his life -hundreds of terra cotta soldiers and horses -individualized faces and meticulously rendered uniforms (previously elaborately colored) -Qin rule was harsh and repressive. Laws were based on a totalitarian philosophy called legalism and all other philosophies were banned. -under qin, country was divided into provinces and prefectures, writing system and coinage were standardized, roads were built to link different parts of the country with the capital, and battlements on northern frontier were connected to form the Great Wall.

11. Han Dynasty -commander who overthrew the Qin became the next emperor and founded the Han dynasty (206-220 BCE) -Chinese enjoyed peaceful, prosperous, and stable life -borders= extended and secured -chinese control over strategic stretches of Central Asia led to the opening of the Silk Road (linked China all the way to Rome)

12. Daoism and Nature -Daoism emphasizes the close relationship between humans and nature -concerned with bringing the individual life into harmony with the Dao, or the way of the universe -developed into an organized religion, absorbing many traditional folk practices and the search for immortality -bronze incense burner from the tomb of prince Liu Sheng depicts the legend told of the isles of the immortals

13. Confucianism and the State -Confucianism is concerned with the human world and its goal is the attainment of equity -proposes a system of ethics based on reverence for ancestors and the correct relationships among people -teaches to rectify relationships within the family, and then in ever widening circles with friends and others all the way up to the level of the emperor and the state -emphasis on social order and respect for authority made it attractive to Han rulers -Han emperor (Wudi 141-87 BCE) made Confucianism the official imperial philosophy) remained the state ideology of China for more than 2000 years until the end of imperial rule in the twentieth century -eventually assumed the form and force of a religion -confucian subjects turn up frequently in Han art -many are shown in relief forms -scene seems to depict homage to the first emperor of the han dynasty -this compared to the banner of the han shows the drastic change (the banner emphasizes heaven, earth and the underworld whereas the relief focuses on the human realm) Detail from a rubbing of a stone relief in the Wu family shrine 151 CE

14. Architecture -nothing of Han architecture remains except ceramic models -one model of a house found in a tomb where it was provided for the dead to use in the afterlife -its four stories are crowned with a watchtower and face a small walled courtyard -aside from the multilevel construction, the most interesting feature of the house is the bracketing system supporting the rather broad eaves of its tiled roofs. -bracketing became standard element of east Asian architecture -much of the painting is purely decorative Tomb Model of a House. Eastern Han Dynasty

15. Six Dynasties -with the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 CE, China splintered into three warring kingdoms -for the next three centuries , northern and southern China developed separately -warfare was common and six short lived dynasties succeeded each other in an age of almost constant turmoil (known as Six Dynasties or period of the Southern and Northern dynasties 265-589CE) -Confucianism lost much influence -many intellectuals especially in the south turned to Daoism -intellectual escape route of Daoism was available only to the educated elite -although weak and disorganized, the southern courts continued to patronize traditional Chinese culture -new influence emerged in China - Buddhism -Buddhism brought greatest comfort to the troubled China of the Six Dynasties BUDDHISM spreads in China during and following the Han Dynasty

16. Painting --for Daoists, wandering through China’s countryside was a source of spiritual refreshment -some of the earliest and most succinct formulations of the ideals of Chinese painting are the six principles set out by the scholar Xie He (500-535 CE) -1st principle=“spirit consonance” imbues a painting with “life’s movement” (“spirit”=qi) -when a painting has qi, it will have be alive with inner essence -2nd principle=brushstrokes are “bones” of a painting -rapid, confident brushstrokes outline figures with rhythmical lines in one of the most important of the very few works surviving from this period, Admonitions of the Imperial Instructress to Court Ladies

17. 6 PRINCIPLES OF XIE HE • "Spirit Resonance," or vitality, and seems to translate to the nervous energy transmitted from the artist into the work. The overall energy of a work of art. Xie He said that without Spirit Resonance, there was no need to look further. • "Bone Method," or the way of using the brush. This refers not only to texture and brush stroke, but to the close link between handwriting and personality. In his day, the art of calligraphy was inseparable from painting. • "Correspondence to the Object," or the depicting of form, which would include shape and line. • "Suitability to Type," or the application of color, including layers, value and tone. • "Division and Planning," or placing and arrangement, corresponding to composition, space and depth. • "Transmission by Copying," or the copying of models, not only from life but also the works of antiquity.

18. -figures are drawn with a burhs in a thin, even-width line, and a few outlined areas are filled with color -this style is typical of the fourth century -painting is on silk (which was typically woven in bands about 12 inches wide and up to 20 or 30 feet long) -handscroll=a long narrow, horizontal composition, compact enough to be held in the hand when rolled up -they are intimate works (meant to be viewed only by 2-3 people at a time) -usually were not displayed completely unrolled like today

19. Calligraphy -the emphasis on the expressive quality and structural importance of brushstrokes finds it’s purest embodiment in calligraphy -same brush is used for painting and calligraphy -painting=reflect moral concerns, calligraphy=reveal style and character of writer -regarded as highest forms of expression in China -came to full maturity during the fourth century -most important practitioner of the day=Wang Xizhi (307-365 CE). Works have served as models of excellence for al subsequent generations -The Feng Ju is an example of “walking” or semi cursive style (neither too formal nor too free) -the effect is fluid and graceful, yet still strong and dynamic

20. Buddhist Art and Architecture -Buddhism originated in India during the fifth century BCE , then gradually spread north into Central Asia -it reached China with the opening of the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty -Buddhism offered consolation in life and the promise of salvation after death -spread throughout the country to all social levels (first in the north) -almost nothing remains in China of the Buddhist architecture of the Six Dynasties -We can see what it must have looked like in the Japanese temple Horyu-ji (based on Chinese models of the period)

21. Nanchan Temple NANCHAN TEMPLE, WUTAISHAN Shanxi. Tang dynasty, 782 CE. Located near the town of Doucun Built in 782 CE during China’s Tag Dynasty Not only is Nanchan Temple an important architectural site, but it also contains important Tang sculptures from the period of its construction The tiled roof first seen in the Han tomb model had taken on a curved silhouette. The curve became very pronounced in later centuries To create larger structures, an architect multiplied the number of bays The Nanchan Temple gives an idea of the cast multistoried palaces of the Tang shown in some paintings from Dunhuang

22. Great Wild Goose Pagoda GREAT WILD GOOSE PAGODA AT CI’EN TEMPLE, CHANG’AN Shanxi. Tang dynasty, first erected 645 CE; rebuilt mid-8th century CE. An important monument of Tang architecture Located in Southern China Built during the Tang dynasty Originally had five stories, although structures was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty Walls, decorated in low relief to resemble bays and bracket systems and reproduced under the projecting roofs of each story Still holds its simplicity, symmetry, proportions, and grace (Pagoda)- developed from Indian stupas along the Silk Road

23. Figure Painting • Artists looking back on their heritage recognized the Tang Dynasty as China’s great age of figure painting • Only very few scroll paintings exists today • This figure was attributed to Huizong(ruled 1101-1126 CE), which was the last emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty • A long handscroll in several sections, depicts the activites of court women as they weave and irons the silk • This is a copy of a famous work by Zhang Xuan, an eigth century painter known for his depictions of women • The bright colors seem to share the grace and dignity of Tang sculptures and architectures

24. SONG DYNASTY (960-1279 CE) • The song dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279 • It succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty • It was the first government to come up with banknotes or paper money • This dynasty also came up with gunpowder • Divided into two distinct periods : the Northern Song and the Southern Song • Although China’s territory had diminished, its wealth had increased bevause of advances in agriculture, commerce and technology had begun under the Tang.

25. Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva • Bodhisattvas, beings who are close to enlightenment but who voluntarily remain on earth to help other achieve enlightenment • Shown as young princes wearing royal garments and jewelry • This figure is the Bodhisattva of infinite compassion, sits on rocks by the sea, a position known as the royal ease • His right arm rests on his raised and bent right knee and his left art foot hang down, the foot touching a lotus blossom • Carved in the 11th – 12th century

26. Northern Song Painting TRAVELERS AMONG MOUNTAINS AND STREAMS Early 11th century CE. Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk FAN KUAN. One of the first great masters of Song landscape was the eleventh-century painter Known as one of the great monuments of Chinese art Almost 7 feet high – which makes the paintings impression even when much reduced The bottom a large, low lying group of rocks, taking up about one-eighth of the picture surface, establishes the extreme foreground The middle ground, travelers and their mules are coming from the right showing variation and development Rocks are separated into two groups by a waterfall that is spanned by a bridge The whole painting conveys a feeling of climbing a high mountain, leaving the human world behind to come face to face into the spiritual communion Jagged brushstrokes describe contours of short, raindrop like textures, mimic the texture of the rock surface Expresses the intelligence of the universe

27. Northern Song Painting FISHING IN A MOUNTAIN STREAM Mid 11th century CE. Hand scroll, ink on silk XU DAONING. The sense of shifting is clearest in the hand scroll, where our vantage point changes constantly as we move through the painting. Starting from a thatched hut in the right foreground, we a follow a path that leads to a broad, open view of a deep vista dissolving into distant mists and mountain peaks A small footbridge, brought back to a group of high mountains that show extraordinary shapes Looking back up into a deep valley, where a stream lures our eyes into the distance Feeling the sense of communion with nature that is the goal of Chinese artistic expression

28. Northern Song Painting Zhang Zeduan. Member of the scholar-official class, the highly educated elite of imperial China SPRING FESTIVAL ON THE RIVER. Early 12th century CE. Hand scroll, ink and colors on silk -- a long hand scroll painted in the first quarter of the twelfth century by Zhang Zeduan • Painting depicts a festival day when local inhabitants and visitors from the countryside thronged the streets • Takes place in the Rainbow Bridge • Large boat to the right – brings goods from the southern part of China • Excited figures on ship and shore gesture widely, shouting orders and advice, while a noisy crowd gathers at the bridge railing to watch • Shows wine shops, eating places line the banks of the canal, shoppers going crazy, other simply enjoying themselves selling foods and other merchandises

29. Southern Song Painting TWELVE VIEWS FROM A THATCHED HUT. Early 13th century CE. Hand scroll, ink on silk XIA GUI. Member of the newly established Academy of Painters Landscape painting took a very different course after the fall of the north to the Jurchen in 1126, and the removal of the court to its new capital in the south, Hangzhou. Favored such as birds flowers in the high refined, elegantly colored style This figure represents an intimate and lyrical view of nature Drawn with perfectly controlled ink washes lining the detail through the mist Simplified forms, contrast with lights and darks, asymmetrical composition, and great expanses of blank spaces suggest a fleeting world that can be captured only in glimpse

30. Southern Song Dynasty GUAN WARE VASE. 13th century CE. Gray stoneware with crackled grayish blue gaze. Mostly high prized ceramic Made mainly for imperial use Everted lip, high neck, and rounded body of the simple vase shoes a strong sense of harmony The crackle technique was discovered accidentally but came to be used deliberately in some of the most refined Song wares. The spontaneous crackles sensing the same spirit that hovers behind the insights of Xia Gui’s landscapes

31. SOURCES • http://chinesekoreanart.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/seated-willow-branch-gwanseeum-bosal-the-bodhisattva-avalokiteshvara-goryeo-dynasty/ • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/719289/Korean-art/283332/Three-Kingdoms-period-c-57-bce-668-ce • http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/history/korea-three-kingdoms.cfm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagoda

32. The Arts Of Korea • Korea is noted for its artistic traditions in pottery, music, calligraphy, and other genres, often marked by the use of bold color, natural forms, and surface decoration The Three Kingdoms Period - 57 BCE to 668 CE • Three independent nation states : Silla in the southeast, Baekje in the southwest, and Goguryeo in the north

33. A GOLD HEADDRESS CROWN. Three Kingdoms : Silla Kingdom. 6th century. Gold with jadeite ornaments. - Trappings from a royal authority Cut pieces of thin gold sheet, held together by gold wire Spangles of gold embellish the crown Tall, branching forms rising from the ornament resemble trees and antlers

34. HIGH-FIRED CERAMICS CEREMONIAL STAND WITH SNAKE, ABSTRACT, AND OPENWORK DECORATION. Silla Kingdom. 5th-6th century. Gray stoneware with combed stamped, applied, and openwork decoration. Added with traces of natural ash glaze Stone ware, a high-fired ceramic ware that is impervious to liquids, even without glaze Tall stands that were used to support round-bottomed jars Long, cylindrical shaft set on wide base Cut into moist clay before firing

35. A BODHISATTVA SEATED IN MEDITATION. Silla Kingdom. Early 7th century. Gilt Bronze. Buddhism was introduced into the Goguryeo Kingdom from China in 372 and into Baekje by 384 Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Korea- from the Baekje Kingdom By the late sixth century, Korean sculptors had created a new style of their own Shows a slender body, elliptical face, elegant drapery folds, and trilobed crown distinguish it as Korean

36. THE UNIFIED SILLA PERIOD • Conquered Baekje and in 668 through an alliance with Tang-dynasty China • Its last king, ruling over a state in name only, brought the dynasty to an end • Many large important temples were erected in and around Gyeongju, the Silla capital

37. SEOKGURAM SEATED SHAKYAMUNI BUDDA. Unified Silla period. Period c. 751. Found in an artificial cave temple constructed under royal protection near Gyeongju Modeled after chinese cave temples of the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries Inspired by the Buddhist cave temples of India More than 11 ft in height, the huge Buddha takes the whole place in the main hall Represents the enlightenment, as indicated by his earth touching gestures

38. GORYEO DYNASTY • Korean dynasty established by Emperor Taejo • ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392 • Then expanded its borders to present day Wonsan

39. CELADON-GLAZED CERAMICS MAYBYEONG BOTTLE WITH DECORATION OF BAMBOO AND BLOSSOMING PLUM TREE. Goryeo Dynasty. Late 12th & Early 13th century. Inlaid celadon ware : light gray stoneware with decoration with black and white slips Celadon – high-fired, transparent glaze of pale bluish-green hue, typically applied over a pale gray stone ware body Chinese potters invented celadon glazes and had initiated as early as the first century CE. Korean potters began to experiment in the 8th and 9th century Korean celadon of the 11th century often have little decoration while those in the 12th added carving, or ornaments A clump of bamboo growing at the edge of a lake, the stalk intertwined with the branches of blossoming plum trees makes several scenes around the bottle become alive A small, bell shaped cover originally capped the battle, protecting its contents and complementing its curves

40. BUDDHIST PAINTING SEATED WILLOW-BRANCH GWANSE’EUM BOSAL. Korean. Goryeo Dynasty. Late 14th century. Hanging scroll. Ink, colors, and gold pigment on silk. Wrought in ink Colors on silk The flesh tones used for the face and hands, are used with rich colors and gold pigments They reflect the luxurious taste of the period Many paintings of these types were exported to Japan where they influenced the course of Buddhist painting