I was very surprised to learn that Chinese art was key in changing the American definition of what art is, and how much of that influence was from American’s lack of distinction between Chinese and Japanese objects. I’d like to think that the U.S. was founded and built through mistakes, but that’s beside the point….
Read moreMuseums – Chinese/Japanese Objects
It was very surprising to learn that Chinese art/objects were key in changing the American definition of what art should be. At first, Americans during the Victorian era believed that “fine art conveyed … a seemingly transparent message of morality”, and even had a hard time “separating aesthetic categories from value judgments” (73). When Chinese…
Read moreChinese Collectors – Reflection
Throughout most of Ancient China, there were many individuals who competed to find the rarest and most valuable art pieces they could find. Being first recognized during the Song dynasty (960 – 1279 A.D.), collectors were willing to pay high prices for such goods despite not actually understanding their original function. Because of this recklessness,…
Read moreDraft: Outline and Paragraph
Introduction – The Founding of the T’ang Dynasty (Paragraph 1) What happened before? What caused rebellion? How was it successful? During rebellion Strategies Pacification Effort Enemies become allies After rebellion Established political, economic and military institutions Government formed Life during T’ang Dynasty China – Laws (Paragraph 2) T’ang Codes A penal code that was established…
Read moreChinese Collectors – An Expert’s Opinion
During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D), art-collecting was an exclusively male pursuit in China, who competed to find the rarest and most valuable pieces they could find. A well-off individual living at the time might have collected pieces – like documents inked with Chinese calligraphy, painted ceramics, and even antique bronze objects – that were,…
Read moreArtisans – Reflection
While we, as a class, agree that artisans have made some amazing works and were exceptional craftsmen, it is surprising to learn that, despite doing so much for the development of the empire, artisans were not higher up on the social class hierarchy. It was sad to see that artisans did not hold a high…
Read moreArtisans – Social Status in Early Imperial China
As a class, reading their amazing works and learning about the influence and success they were able to bring to China, we have properly acknowledged artisans as exceptional craftsmen. However, the same cannot be said about their status in Ancient China. In fact, artisans did not hold a high role in society at all. These…
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