ART 220. The Arts of China.
Prof. Lara Blanchard
tel: 781-3893
Art Department, 106A Houghton Hall
e-mail: blanchard@hws.edu

Note: I am changing the date of the midterm to Friday, October 12.

Slides are available in carousels in 201 Houghton House (hours: M-F 9:00am-5:00pm). If you have an Ethernet connection to the campus network, you can also access images at the Visual Resources Collection website: http://vrcart.hws.edu/vrc/. Click on "Full Search," then use the four- or five-digit catalog number (given in square brackets following each object on these pages) to pull up a digital picture of each object. (Note: if information on a particular object at the Visual Resources Collection website is different from what I've given you on these pages, go with my information.)

On the midterm I will be asking you to do slide identifications. At the minimum, you should memorize the following five pieces of information about every object listed on these pages:
1. artist (if his or her name is known) OR site (such as Anyang or Banpo) OR culture (such as Liangzhu culture or Hongshan culture), depending on which one applies to the object (usually I only give you one of these pieces of information anyway)
2. title OR subject matter OR function (in the case of wine vessels, burial urns, etc.)
3. date (dynasty or period-extra credit if you get the exact year or range of years!)
4. medium

I will also be asking you to write short paragraphs about the objects pictured in the slides. I may ask you to write about a single object, or I may ask you to compare two objects. To prepare for this, I suggest that you consider subject matter, form, function, ornament and makers' techniques for each of the objects listed on these pages. I also suggest that you try to compare similar objects or motifs from different periods or regions to each other.

Prehistoric period.

Burial urn, earthenware with slip decoration. Banshan site, Gansu province, ca. 2000 B.C.E. [15486]

Head, earthenware. Hongshan culture. [91222]

Bowl, earthenware with slip decoration. Yangshao culture, Banpo, Shaanxi province, ca. 4000 B.C.E. [91238]

Flask (ping) with head, earthenware with slip decoration. Yangshao culture, Gansu province, ca. 4000-3500 B.C.E. [91223]

Vessel with modeled ithyphallic design, earthenware. Yangshao culture, Qinghai province, 3rd mill. B.C.E. [91242]

Jar (guan) with human figure, earthenware with slip decoration. Majiayao culture, Gansu province, ca. 3000-2500 B.C.E. [91225]

Shang and Western Zhou dynasties.

Lower turtle shell, inscribed with charges relating to hunting. Shang dynasty, Henan province, 12th cent. B.C.E. [91230]

Axe (yue), bronze. Shang dynasty, Anyang, ca. 1200 B.C.E. [47507, then click on "Next Image"]

Cauldron (ding), bronze. Shang dynasty, ca. 1500-1400 B.C.E. [15508]

Wine vessel (pou), bronze. Shang dynasty, 1400-1200 B.C.E. [15501]

Bird-shaped wine vessel (zun), bronze. Shang dynasty, ca. 1200 B.C.E. [15496]

Square cauldron (fangding), bronze. Hunan province, 1200-1050 B.C.E. [91246]

Square wine vessel (fangzun), bronze. Hunan province, 1300-1000 B.C.E. [15498]

Bell (nao), bronze. Hunan province, 1400-1200 B.C.E. [15522]

Standing figure, bronze. Sanxingdui, 1300-1100 B.C.E. [85304]

Container (lei), earthenware with slip decoration. Dadianzi, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia; Lower Xiajiadian culture, ca. 1500 B.C.E. [91232]

Bell (zhong), bronze, 10.6 in. h. Zhou dynasty. [15558]

Eastern Zhou dynasty.

Headdress, gold and turquoise. Xiongnu culture, 500-200 B.C.E. [91252]

Disc (bi), jade. Probably Jincun, Henan province, Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 600-200 B.C.E. [14958]

Bowl, wood with lacquer. Changsha, Hunan province, 300-200 B.C.E. [15525]

Man Riding Dragon, ink on silk. Changsha, Hunan province, 475-221 B.C.E. [29309]

Bell (zhong), bronze, 19.2 in. h. Eastern Zhou dynasty, 600-500 B.C.E. [90584]

Chime of 26 bells, bronze. Xiasi, Henan province, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 550 B.C.E. [91231]

Square wine vessel (fanghu), bronze. Probably from Xinzheng tomb, Henan province, Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 625-575 B.C.E. [15532]

Wine vessel (hu), bronze, 16 in. h. Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 500-200 B.C.E. Full view [91306] and diagram of decoration [91307].

Flat wine vessel (hu), bronze with silver inlay, 12.3 in. h. Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 500-300 B.C.E. [91251]

Wine vessel (hu), bronze with copper and turquoise inlay. Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 500-200 B.C.E. [15533]

Cauldron, bronze. Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 400-300 B.C.E. [15553]

Wine vessel and water basin (zun pan), bronze, 11.9 in. h., 22.9 in. diam. Suizhou, Hubei province, Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 500-450 B.C.E. [91292]

Qin and Han dynasties.

Entertainment scene, earthenware tile. Pengxian, Sichuan province, Han dynasty. [15501]

Standing performer with drum, earthenware, 26.4 in. h. Pi county, Sichuan province, Eastern Han dynasty. [91300]

Rhinoceros-shaped wine vessel (zun), bronze with gold inlay. Shaanxi province, Eastern Zhou or Western Han dynasty, ca. 300-200 B.C.E. [15551]

Warriors, earthenware, life-size. From the tomb of the first emperor (Shihuangdi) of the Qin dynasty; Lintong, Shaanxi province, ca. 210 B.C.E. Two views of the excavated pits. [14974, then click on "Next Image"]
Detail: kneeling archer, earthenware, life-size. [14971]

Funeral suit, jade and gold, 69.2 in. l. From the tomb of Princess Douwan, Mancheng, Hebei province, Eastern Han dynasty, ca. 200 C.E. [32333]

Wine vessel (zhong), wood with lacquer, 22.5 in. h. From the tomb of the Marquise of Dai, Mawangdui Tomb 1, Hunan province, Western Han dynasty. [91298]

Banner, ink and color on silk, 82 x 36.8 in. From the tomb of the Marquise of Dai, Mawangdui Tomb 1, Hunan province, Western Han dynasty, ca. 180 B.C.E. Full view [15657] and diagram [88245].

Coffin with cloud patterns, lacquer ware, 45.6 x 102.4 in. From the tomb of the Marquise of Dai, Mawangdui Tomb 1, Hunan province, Western Han dynasty, ca. 180 B.C.E. [91405]

Coffin with animals and immortals, lacquer ware, 36.8 x 92 in. From the tomb of the Marquise of Dai, Mawangdui Tomb 1, Hunan province, Western Han dynasty, ca. 180 B.C.E. [91406]

Scene of celebration in a pavilion, rubbing of a stone relief, ca. 36 in. h. From the left Wu Family Shrine, Jiaxiang, Shandong province, Eastern Han dynasty, 147-151 C.E. [85309]

Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties.

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and Rong Qiqi, rubbing of stamped bricks from two tomb murals, each 96 x 32 in. Tomb at Xishan Bridge, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Eastern Jin dynasty, late 4th cent. [91749]

Standing Buddha, earthenware on wooden armature, 8 ft. h. Cave 169, Bingling Temple, Yongjing, Gansu province, Western Qin dynasty, ca. 420 C.E. [91738]

Colossal Buddha, sandstone, 45 ft. h. Cave 20, Yungang chapels, Northern Wei dynasty, ca. 460-480 C.E. [15470]

Sakyamuni Buddha, polychrome limestone and gold, 46.9 in. h. Longxing Temple, Qingzhou, Shandong province, Northern Qi dynasty, ca. 550-577 C.E. [91713]

Five Hundred Robbers, mural painting. Cave 285, Mogao chapels, Dunhuang, Gansu province, Western Wei dynasty, 538-539 C.E. [91744]

Tall jar with appliqué décor, stoneware, 27.5 in. h. From the tomb of Feng Shihui, Hebei province, Northern Qi dynasty, ca. 565 C.E. [91764]

WANG XIZHI, Orchid Pavilion Preface (Lanting xu), rubbing of a stone carving. Eastern Jin dynasty, ca. 353 C.E. [91747]

Filial Yuan Gu, sarcophagus, engraved stone, 24.5 x 88 in. Northern Wei dynasty, ca. 525 C.E. [91751]

Attributed to GU KAIZHI, Admonitions of the Court Instructress to the Palace Ladies, handscroll, ink and color on silk, 9.8 x 139.3 in. Copy of an original dated to Eastern Jin dynasty, ca. 300-400 C.E. [14818, then click on "Next Image']
Detail: "Lady Ban declined, despite her desire, to accompany the emperor in his palanquin."
Detail: "Seeking to please with a seductive face, you will be despised by honorable men."

Attributed to GU KAIZHI, Goddess of the Luo River, handscroll, ink and color on silk, 10.8 x 229.1 in. Copy of an original dated to Eastern Jin dynasty, ca. 300-400 C.E. [29311]
Detail: The Goddess Departing.

Sui and Tang dynasties.

Plan of Chang'an in the 8th cent. C.E., Tang dynasty. [91754]

Tang Officials and Foreign Emissary, mural painting. From the tomb of Prince Zhanghuai, Qianling, 706-711 C.E. [91736]

Reliquary in form of a pagoda, bronze, 21 in. h. Famen Temple, Fufeng, Shaanxi province, Tang dynasty, ca. 800 C.E. [48947]

Set of reliquary caskets, silver and gold, 2.8 to 9.3 in. h. Famen Temple, Fufeng, Shaanxi province, Tang dynasty, 871 C.E. [48953]

Colossal Vairocana Buddha, Fengxian Temple, limestone, 44 ft. h. Cave 19, Longmen, Henan province, Tang dynasty, completed 675 C.E. [85315]

Sixteen Visualizations of Queen Vaidehi, mural painting. Cave 45, Mogao chapels, Dunhuang, Gansu province, Tang dynasty, 800-900 C.E. [91780]

HUAISU, Autobiographical Essay, handscroll, ink on paper, 11 x 297 in. Tang dynasty, 777 C.E. [14900]

Attributed to YAN LIBEN, Scroll of the Emperors, handscroll, ink and color on silk, 20.1 x 216 in. 11th-century copy of original dated to 600-700 C.E. [91408]

Attributed to ZHOU FANG, Court Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair (Flower Morning), handscroll (formerly a three-paneled screen), ink and color on silk, 18 x 69 in. Tang dynasty, ca. 800 C.E. [29312]

Attributed to HAN GAN, Night-Shining White, handscroll, ink on paper, 13.1 x 12.1 in. Tang dynasty, 700-800 C.E. [14876]