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History of Chinese Art. Buddhism. Religion and Philosophy; began ~6 th and 4 th century BCE. Based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian prince. Siddhartha abandoned life of luxury for knowledge and enlightenment.
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Buddhism Religion and Philosophy; began ~6th and 4th century BCE. Based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian prince. Siddhartha abandoned life of luxury for knowledge and enlightenment. When he reached Enlightenment/Nirvana, he becomes known as the Buddha ("the awakened one"). Different branches of Buddhism -Theravada ("The School of the Elders“ and oldest surviving branch) and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle").
Buddhism (Cont.) Karma is the force that drives Saṃsāra, the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each being. Good, skillful deeds and bad, unskillful actions produce "seeds" in the mind which result in consequences either in this life or in a subsequent rebirth. Rebirth refers to a process where beings live a succession of lifetimes as one of many possible forms of life, each running from birth to death.
Buddhist Concepts Four Noble Truths: Life leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another. Suffering is caused by craving. Suffering ends when craving ends. Eliminating delusion will result in reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi). Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path (Eightfold Path) laid out by the Buddha; basically right living, attitudes, and meditations
Taoism Tao = “path” or “way” Taoism emphasizes the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility. Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos. Harmony with the Universe Balance between opposing forces (yin-yang)
Confucianism • Developed from the teachings of the philosopher Confucius • The cultivation of virtue and the development of moral perfection • Golden Rule: "do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you."
Confucianism (Cont.) Social harmony "Filial piety“ is among one of the greatest virtues. “Filial” characterizes the respect that a child should show to his/her parents. Loyalty was considered one of the greater human virtues. Loyalty to one's family came first, then to one's spouse, then to one's ruler, and lastly to one's friends.
Oracle Bonesand the Chinese Writing System • Bones of large animals used to communicate with Heaven • Questions were posed on the bones for Heaven to answer. Once placed over a fire the bones would crack. Priest would interpret its meaning. • Thousands of these were discovered in burial tombs providing the earlier evidence of the Chinese written language
Logograms • Logograms are writing systems in which each symbol represents a concept rather than a sound. • The first type, and the type most often associated with Chinese writing, are pictograms, which are pictorial representations of the morpheme represented, e.g. 山 for "mountain". • The second type is the ideograms that attempt to visualize abstract concepts, such as 上 "up" and 下 "down".
Bronze VesselsShang and Zhou dynasties • Chinese cast some of the most exquisite bronze vessels in the world • Technologically far superior to anything in the world • Vessels used in religious ceremonies and as household containers
Lost wax casting process • Method of metal casting in which a molten metal is poured into a mold that has been created by means of a wax model. • Once the mold is made, the wax model is melted and drained away. A hollow core can be effected by the introduction of a heat-proof core that prevents the molten metal from totally filling the mold.
Bronze zun (Bear swallowing monster) Shang Dynasty 11th C BC
Chinese Jade • Chinese jade was highly prized from the earliest period • Jade was a symbol of longevity • It was frequently used as jewelry for rings, pendants, etc. • Jade was used in rites and rituals and often buried with high status individuals • Jade burial suits were common in Zhou and Han times. Jade squares were sewn together with gold thread to preserve the body
Terra Cotta Warriors ofQin Shi Huangti Thousands of life-size terra cotta warriors, chariots and horses arranged in battle formations were found in Xian in 1974 after local peasants were digging a well and pulled up pieces of the collection. Three separate vaults have been discovered with more than 1,000 figures representing different types of troops- archers, charioteers, cavalrymen, and generals. They are all arrayed in battle formations. The Chinese describe these as the Eights Wonder of the World
Carved during the short-lived Qin Dynasty • in Mausoleum of First Qin Emperor Qin Shi Huang • buried in 210-209 BC • 7,000 terracotta figures of horses and warriors • pigment has since faded; each head is unique.
