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Chinese History - Han Period Art

Periods of Chinese History
Red and black lacquered box, Han Dynasty
Red and black lacquered box
Gilded bronze lamp (or medical sublimation instrument?), Han Dynasty
Gilded bronze lamp (or medical sublimation instrument?)
Jade suit of a Han Princess
Jade suit of a Han Princess
Soul banner of a Han Duchess, unearthed from the tomb of Mawangdui
Soul banner of a Han Duchess, unearthed from the tomb of Mawangdui 馬王堆
Rubbing of a Han period clay brick: peasants and hunters
Rubbing of a clay brick: peasants and hunters
Han art was the apogée of a development that already started during the Warring States period 戰國. While shapes and decoration of the objects of the Western Zhou Dynasty 西周 were totally dependent on their use as sacrificial objects (see bronze vessels), focusing on spirits and Heaven, the human being became the center of Eastern Zhou 東周 art (see metal objects). We find scenes of daily life, pictures of animals and men, decorations that make us laugh and feel the happiness of a social interacting during a feast or a banquet. We see the hard work of the peasants and hunting scenes of the Han aristocracy on clay bricks and on lacquered objects. Clay figurines of servants, peasants and warriors were tomb offerings like in Egypt. Some of the most beautiful objects of Chinese art were unearthed from the tomb of a duchessat Mawangdui 馬王堆 in Hunan. The invention of paper ca. 100 AD changed the style of writing from the flat Clerical or Chancellery Script (lishu 隸書; see calligraphy) to a more fluid style. One of the most popular Han art material was lacquerware.


Source:

October 30, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald · Mail

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