Huang Ho Yellow River Valley Civilization 8000 B

Huang Ho (Yellow River) Valley Civilization 8000 B. C. E. small agricultural communities formed –wheat, millet, rice (labor intensive 2000 B. C. E. Bronze methods in use (Xiu dynasty, 2200 BCE, first described in historical records. ) 1750 B. C. E. Shang dynasty –warrior aristocracy

Shang Dynasty 1750 -1027 B. C. E Extensive trading of jade, ivory, silk Urban culture, Divine Right of Monarch Chinese system of writing (pictograms) originated with the Shang 2 of the most important aspects of Chinese religion: Fortune telling Ancestor worship Zhou (Chou) Dynasty 1027 -221 B. C. E. Iron tools/ Shift from hunting to agriculture Political sophistication increased – “Mandate of Heaven” Confucianism and Daoism

Qin Dynasty – 221 -206 B. C. E. Short lived Qin gave China its name Emperor Shi Huangdi turned China into a dictatorial tightly centralized nation Standardized weights and measures Modernized with iron weapons, crossbows, cavalry warfare Forced labor to build thousands of miles of roads Beginning of Great Wall Strong Emperor/Legalism/ Bureaucracy Han Dynasty – Greater expansion Postal service/taxation Expand “Great Wall” Monopoly in silk production

Ancient and Medieval China Ancient Chinese believed that gods and spirits controlled the universe As in the ancient Near East, they performed rituals to assure bountiful harvests and material well-being They inscribed question to the gods on tortoise shells and bones of animals, which they heated to produce cracks to be interpreted Tortoise shell divination device, 1250 -1200 B. C. E. , Shang Dynasty topics in Chinese history Minneapolis Institute of the Arts China Overview

Ritual Disk Rulers claimed their authority form the Lord on High (Shangdi) symbolized by the dragon- strength fertility and lifegiving water may have been an icon for the circle of heaven-patience, diligence, beauty, and hard work. The dragons are also symbols of good fortune and a rulers ability to meditate and thus transcend between heaven and earth. Melchior Bi Disk 500 BCE - 400 BCE China Zhou Dynasty Bronze Age Jade 6. 5"

Tomb Objects Fang Ding 12 th century BCE Bronze, made in piece molds Shang Dynasty famous for its bronzes This fang ding was used to store food and wine for ceremonies Animal motifs are central/emphasis on hunting (T’ao-t’ieh mask) Shang kings conquered by Zhou Dynasty: 11 th c. B. C. E. - 221 B. C. E. Established Feudal Society based on agriculture

• • Found buried in tombs from the Shang Dynasty The use and creation of these vessels continued on into the Zhou Dynasty however, they were not always used in burials Used to hold or cook food for a sacrifice. The smoke rising off of the vessel would have been for the spirit of the dead and then the cooked food would have been eaten by the living.

• 200 to 300 pounds • complex and stylized imagery very similar geometricized • Represent two stylized dragon or monster faces (called t'ao -t'ieh ortaotie) • the leiwen thunder design in turquoise and kui dragon in yellow.

T’ao-t’ieh Insatiable monster Symmetrical Often hidden within other beasts

Bronze Casting Method

Ritual Objects – Kuang (wine mixer) Shang bronzes are inscribed with fantastic beasts. The vessel forms the shape of a beast, both front and back. Within these beasts are more beasts, with the chief motif – the T’aot’ieh- often hidden in design Indiana U. PDF Shang Oracles and Ritual Bronzes Similarities to Mesoamerican artifacts

Shang Kings believed to hold the power of connecting to the spirit world Great expense in the creation of ritual vessels

Shang Ceremonial vessel, 1000 BCE. Surface covered with dragons, birds and geometric shapes arranged symmetrically. Reflects the Chinese perception of the cosmos as animated and regulated by natural order. A History of the World in 100 objects

• Rubbing from the Fang Ding • The pictogram represents the concept of the mother or "good wife. " • a child, a woman and a broom, link the idea of child rearing and cleaning as part of the roles of women in Shang culture.

Zhou Dynasty Bronzes More primitive people from the west Bronzes took on the bolder spirit of the conquerors Aggressive spikes and projections, with motifs in high relief, distinguish the ferocious style that appeared at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty around 1050 BCE. Early Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 10501000 BCE Bronze

Spirits, Gods and the Natural Order • Agricultural commities of ancient China venerated an assortment of local spirits associated with natural forces, rivers, mountains and crops • The Lord on High/Shang-di or Heaven”Tian regulatied the natural order of the universe and was the creative principle • Ancestor worship-mediators between heaven and earth

Rich is the year with much millet and rice; And we have tall granaries With hundred and thousands and millions of sheaves. We make wine and sweet spirits And offer them to our ancestors, male and female; Thus to fulfill all the rites And bring down blessings in full. from the Book of Song (Shi jing)

I-jing or The Book of Changes • The inviolable natural order dominated all aspects of Chinese culture • Earliest expression found in China’s oldes known text, The Book of Changes (I jing) • I jing originated in Shang, recorded in 6 th c. bce. • Text with cosmological diagrams • Goal- interpretation of workings of cosmos • Maintain natural order- balance • Balance between 5 elements-wood, fire, earth, metal and water • And 5 creative powers –hot, cold, dryness, moisture and wind • Qi-universal energy, pervades all things • All nature is the dynamic product of two interacting cosmic forces- yin/yang

Confucianism and Taoism- Zhou Dynasty Confucius 551 -479 B. C. E Laozi 604 B. C. E. Practical/this world Duty, Piety, Self-control Tao/Dao is ultimate reality “behind” existence- the “way” Anarchy overcome Social cohesion restored Importance of family Respect for elders Arts should be part of moral education Mysterious, vague, transcendent spirit Te- characteristic nature of each thing, integrity, identity Wu-wei –non-action simplicity

Dao de jing (Daoism existed as early as 1000 BCE, the text written in 6 th c. Tao Te Ching: Chapter 11 translated by Ursula K. Le Guin (1998) Thirty spokes meet in the hub. Where the wheel isn't is where it's useful. Hollowed out, clay makes a pot. Where the pot's not is where it's useful. Cut doors and windows to make a room. Where the room isn't, there's room for you. So the profit in what is is in the use of what isn't.

Ch’in and Han Dynasties Powerful armies of Chi’in (China) conquered all rival states Totalitarian control between 221 -210 B. C. E. Legalism Great Wall/ eradicated old traditions by destroying Confucian writings, burying Confucian scholars alive. In 1974 the immense tomb mound of Shih Huang Ti was discovered More than 6000 life-size clay soldiers

Quin Shi Huang While the previous Warring States era was one of constant warfare, it was also considered the golden age of free thought. Qin Shi Huang eliminated the Hundred Schools of Thought which incorporated Confucianism and other philosophies. Legalism established Quin Shi Huang established China’s “army of 1 million” Standardized writing/coins Saw the development of efficient chariots.

No two faces were alike Traces of pigment suggest they were brightly colored

Han Dynasty Stone Relief depicting a Qin Dynasty event The first emperor of the Qin dynasty learned that a ritual tripod bronze vessel (a ding) from the Zhou dynasty had been cast into a river at a certain place. He determined to recover it because the bronze tripod was a prominent symbol of dynastic legitimacy. The Qin emperor assembled a crew of workers, some of whom dove into the water and secured a ropes around the bronze vessel , erecting a wooden structure over the spot to pull it up. A dragon rose up and bit the ropes in two. In Chinese lore, dragons were associated with water and were a common symbol of "the cosmic forces. “ The cosmic forces have spoken, saying that the first Qin emperor is not the one who should be ruling the empire. Obviously, this is a self-serving point made often during the Han dynasty, which succeeded the Qin.

Death of Shih Huang Ti –revolt of people and new dynasty established Han Dynasty-206 B. C. E. 220 C. E. Increased territory Trade with Rome/Silk Road/trade for horses Confucians and Taoists fought for governmental power Confucian Academy for civil servants 2 nd c. C. E. Bronze Han Dynasty comparable to Roman Empire Period of centralized bureaucracy that would define future of China

Tang Dynasty – China’s Golden Age The Tang dynasty (618 -907) reunified China after almost 400 years of political disunity that followed upon the dissolution of the Han dynasty in 220. Cosmopolitanism due to expansion, travel and trade- Silk Road Buddhism had become a tool of the state/monks brought back new form of Buddhism from India that was more mysterious and ritualistic- “Esoteric Sects. ” Important developments in figure painting, pottery and poetry.

The Three Teachings During the Tang era, Buddhist teachings were translated and increasingly taught and followed. Buddhism became third strand of China's philosophicalreligious braid. Buddhism emphasized the transience and impermanence of life, while Daoism emphasized abandonment to the Way found in nature. Confucianism stressed moral responsibility and service to the state. These were the "Three Teachings" that informed the thought and behavior of not only the emperors of the Tang but also of the Chinese literati.

Tang Dynasty Figure Painting Development of refined figure painting Reflected court life Popular “palace ladies” theme Use of negative space, fluid line Positioning of trees to define shallow depth Zhou Fang, fl. 766 -796 Palace Ladies Tuning Colored ink, silk Use of framing figures Psychological relationships Composition that is both simple and complex Body types- consort and princesses usually heavier Attendants are slimmer china online museum

Zhou Fang, fl. 766 -796 Ladies with Flowers in their Hair Gu Hongzhong 943 -960, The Night Revels of Han Xizai

The Tang dynasty and later 5 -dynasty figure painting was the height of this genre, with increasing complexity in the relationship between figures and believability of space.

Tang Dynasty Figure Painting "A group of palace ladies in the gardens while a hoopoe flies by. Mural, tomb of Gaozong's 6 th son, Li Xian, Qianling, Shaanxi, 706. " Paludan, Ann. (1998). Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors: the Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial China. Blog China Lecture Tang Painting Chinese painting Blue Heron Arts

Tang Dynasty Poetry reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty and was the most important literary and social genre. Civil Service Exam required the composition of poetry/ social mobility Both social and personal Nature, man in nature Philosophical Celebrate occasions of court Highly regulated verse 4 couplets, each couplet expresses a distinct idea or image Columbia Asian Topics Asia for educators

Wang Wei carried on many of the earlier poetic traditions- the poetic traditions involved writing about living in retirement, living in reclusion and carried them one step further, sometimes by including the ideas of Buddhist quietism, the idea of stilling the heart of passions when you lived in reclusion. Thus, Wang Wei in many ways combined a lot of the philosophical ideas common in Tang dynasty China. The idea of Daoist reclusion, of living away from society in order to cultivate personal values; the continuing idea of the human community which he derived from Confucianism; and the idea of stilling the passions that he derived from Buddhism.

Wang Wei and Regulated Verse "Fields and Gardens by the River Qi" by Wang Wei I dwell apart by the River Qi, Where the Eastern wilds stretch far without hills. The sun darkens beyond the mulberry trees; The river glistens through the villages. Shepherd boys depart, gazing back to their hamlets; Hunting dogs return following their men. When a man's at peace, what business does he have? I shut fast my rustic door throughout the day.

Tu Fu 712 -770 the Confucian Moralist Often called China’s greatest poet, Tu Fu wrote poems reflecting his political commitment, his social concerns, and his love of family.

Spending the Night in a Tower by the River ( Du Fu) A visible darkness grows up mountain paths, I lodge by river gate high in a study, Frail cloud on cliff edge passing the night, The lonely moon topples amid the waves. Steady, one after another, a line of cranes in flight; Howling over the kill, wild dogs and wolves. No sleep for me. I worry over battles. I have no strength to right the universe

Li Bai - outsider Not well educated or accepted at court Had to travel around the country, selling himself He played up the notion of the “outsider” He rejected Confucianism and embraced Daoism, popular culture, all that an educated man of the court would have though most important He wrote in a rambling “unregulated” style

"Drinking Alone Under the Moon" by Li Bo Translation River Merchant Wife Among the flowers, a single jug of wine; I drink alone. No one close to me. I raise my cup, invite the bright moon; facing my shadow, together we make three. The moon doesn't know how to drink; and my shadow can only follow my body. But for a time I make moon and shadow my companions; taking one's pleasure must last until spring. I sing--the moon wavers back and forth. I dance--my shadow flickers and scatters. When I'm sober we take pleasure together. When I'm drunk, we each go our own ways. I make an oath to journey forever free of feelings, making an appointment with them to meet in the Milky Way afar.

Song Dynasty 960 -1279 Closer to the modern period in world view Distrust of militarism/Tang fell apart because of court rivalries Aims of gov’t: benevolent rule, efficiency Civil service exams expanded, true meritocracy Proliferation of schools/ secular education Neo-Confucianism blends with Daoism and Buddhism- respect for all living things, interconnectedness

Song Dynasty 960 -1279 Technological revolution transforming China move from Tang feudalism, few urban centers, majority rural and illiterate to many market centers, production centers paper money/ printing higher literacy beginning of market economy

Song Dynasty Painting- landscape painting comes into its own- Monumental hanging scrolls Professional court artists Technique departs from the "calligraphic" skills common to all literate people Attempts to use a very complex array of brush strokes to convey an effect of "verisimilitude" (that is, the landscapes seem "real"). Chü-jan, fl. 960 -980 Seeking the Tao in Autumn Mountains

Guo Xi, 11 th c. Early Spring

Detail Chü-jan, fl. 960 -980 Seeking the Tao in Autumn Mountains

No single view point “Angle of Totality”- looking down on some things, up at others. Each area of the landscape painted with equal precision A solitary Temple Amid clearing Peaks, attributed to Li Chaeng (940967)

Southern Song/Lyrical Ma Yuan was influenced by the academic style of Li Tang but soon developed his own personal style Importance of the figures dwarfed by nature Ma Yuan specialized in pines The graphic strength of the pines contrasts with the hazy mountains in the back ground

Southern Song/Lyrical Ma Yuan, 12 th-13 th c. A characteristic feature of many paintings is the so-called "one-corner" composition, in which the actual subjects of the painting are pushed to a corner or a side, leaving the other part of the painting more or less empty. Ma Yuan’s lyrical and romantic interpretation became the model for many later painters. Three Friends of Winter refer to the pine, bamboo, and plum. )

Song Dynasty Literati Painting Landscape cannot be achieved by imitation Break with past “Mi-dots” Important theorist of the Literati His writings about painting in the Shu-shi were critical of academic painters Tower of Rising Clouds (雲起樓圖) Attributed to Mi Fu (米芾, 1051 -1107), Song Dynasty (960 -1279)

Chinese Painting and Daoism Song Dynasty saw the culmination of the practices of Daoism and Confucianism as they relate to painting Courts looked for scholar painters who became the official painters associated with individual emperors Wen Tong (10181079) pioneer in painting bamboo with the techniques of calligraphy. As corruption and scandal ravaged the Tang and Song Dynasties, scholars became distanced and looked for other ways to continue practice The literati were a network of scholars who continued the practice of Daoist painting and did much to promote landscape painting as the major genre

Wen Tong (10181079) The s- curve pattern of the bamboo becomes a formula to be copied As well as the branching out of the bamboo to fill the surface The hooks on the stalks are like the hooks in calligraphy Each leaf must be achieved with one stroke

Literati break with Academic Painters During the late Song, literati and academic painting become two distinct streams. Interestingly, although academic paintings were often far more skilled in technique, many felt -- and still feel -- that the "amateur" ink paintings of the literati are the highest form of art in China. The "album leaf, " Ma Yuan, "handscroll, " Xia Gui. Handscrolls, unlike hanging scrolls, were not meant for display. They were stored rolled in wooden boxes, and were only removed and viewed, section by section, when the owner wished to enjoy the painting or to share it with intimate guests.

Chinese Painting and Daoism 6 th c. BCe Chinese philosopher Laozi Dao De Jing Daoism grew quickly from 200 -700 CE where more rituals and practices emerged. Daoism faced competition from Buddhism brought by Indian missionaries Official religion of the Tang Dynasty (618 -906 AD) The Dao: ultimate truth - The Way Basis of all living things, it governs nature, and it is a method to live by. Daoists do not believe in extremes, instead focusing on the interdependence of things. There is no total good or evil or negative and positive. The Yin-Yang symbol exemplifies this view.

Chinese Painting and Daoism Form is means to capture spirit Superficial likeness is secondary to essence Repeated practice is necessary to understand the spirit of the thing you are painting A life time of practice is needed to gain understanding of a pine tree Practice is a way of finding the Daoist practices of meditation and breathing exercises are necessary to good painting Song painter who went by the pseudonym of Mu-qi, is celebrated as the ultimate in painterly simplicity. Also considered Zen painting

Chinese Painting and Daoism Fisherman, Yuan dynasty (1271– 1368), ca. 1350 Wu Zhen (Chinese, 1280– 1354) Handscroll; ink on paper 9 3/4 x 17 in. (24. 8 x 43. 2 cm)

Chinese Painting and Daoism Specific objects came to behold certain moral and spiritual characteristics Line more important than color or dimensionality (shadow and light) Negative space allows the mind to wander and also serves to feature the main object Position of the artist- everywhere and nowhere Everything in one/Largeness in smallness Color is used to accent and call attention to main object, to lend spiritual meaning The Dao transcendent and immanent… unnamable, ineffable, yet present in all things Constant transformation/ imperfections/ traces Wu Zhen (1280 -1354) Yuan Dynasty Hanging scroll; ink on paper 109. 0 x 32. 6 cm (43 x 13 in. )

1279 - China overrun by the Mongols Many literati learned to live under Mongol rule and continued in the Confucian style Many other alienated from state and freed from government responsibilities Development of literati schools of free artistic expression Focus on expressive brushwork Expression of the individual/ paintings represent the “man” more than nature Many stamps show that these paintings were highly collected Handscroll, Yuan artist Zhao Mengfu scroll literati lecture notes with images Indiana University Course

In the full literati style of Zhao Mengfu (Yuan Dynasty) the attempt at verisimilitude has vanished Nature -- and painting -- has become a means for expressing the artist's unique self and perspective. Although this is a very Neo-Daoist idea, most literati artists "Confucianized" it by laying emphasis on the notion that the aspect of the self that was expressed also reflected one's moral self-cultivation and stance towards society.

Chinese painting Blue Heron Arts Mustard Seed Manual of Painting Brooklyn Museum Cahill Lectures bamboo

Chinese Figure Sculpture U Penn Lecture Luohan Statues The image of the Buddhist luohan or “Worthy One” Transfixed in meditations Life size fired clay Northern China (Mongolia)

• • • A luohan is one of the historical disciples of Buddha. As Buddhism developed in East Asia, the number of luohan increased. They are close to being bodhisattvas, fully enlightened beings who choose to remain in the world to help people. According to Buddhist tradition, groups of 16, 18 or 500 luohans awaited the arrival of the Future Buddha. The full set is thought by most scholars to have had figures for the typical Chinese main grouping of or 18 luohans. This set is exceptional in its quality and the individuality of each figure; it has been suggested that they were also portraits of notable contemporary monks. The openwork bases were intended to suggest mountains; paintings of luohans often show them perched on small peaks, indicating the mountain retreats of the ascetic monk.

Traditional Chinese Music Cantonese Opera • Smithsonian recording- whole Fiero Playlist • Guardian Film Music of China—Traditional: “Ngoh Wai Heng Kong” The Chinese musical genre known as Cantonese opera is generally believed to have originated in the thirteenth century in Northern China. Like European opera, Cantonese opera is a blending of music-theatrical genres assembled into a single performance event. Unlike European opera, Cantonese opera is not based on the conscious revival of a historical dramatic genre, but rather a uniquely Chinese amalgam of music, theater, martial arts, acrobatics, acting, history, and culture. Values associated with Cantonese opera performance can be related to Confucian principles regarding music, such as the desire to shape the minds and character of citizens through education, in which music, dance, and drama played important roles. Included in the artistic expressive forms associated with Cantonese opera is an elaborate style of make-up that dramatically alters the appearance of the actor/singers and, like the masks of ancient Greek theater, communicates information about the character. One important distinction between Cantonese opera and European opera is the role of music in the performance. While singing, melody, and the use of instruments are features of both, Cantonese opera is not a composer’s genre. Consequently, much of the musical structure is more dependent upon performance and the singer’s knowledge of an existing set of melodies to which the more important texts can be presented. The musical style is to a significant extent improvisatory and the manner of melodic improvisation is intimately tied to the tone and inflection of the language itself, a feature of the musical sound that can readily be detected in the musical excerpt included on this recording.