Ancient Chinese Art Facts: Learn About Their Art Across All Dynasties

Chinese art dates back to 10000 BC and is one of the oldest continuing traditions of the world.

Traditional Chinese art forms have evolved with time. The changing dynasties and their religion influenced it to a great extent, which resulted in the development of varied forms of art, including calligraphy, paintings, pottery, and sculptors.

With a dynamic geopolitical landscape, ancient China displayed innumerable art forms that have flourished with time. The quintessential Chinese artists gave different meanings to their art and focused on perfection.

The art of pottery was best executed by the artists of the famous Tang dynasty. Calligraphy was introduced by the Han dynasty and Zhu Yunming, Wang Chong, and Wen Zhengming were some of the renowned Chinese calligraphers the world has known.

Different perspectives of the artists regarding a single subject highlight their admiration for art.

Countless designs were created during this time, that have influenced neighboring countries of China. Colorful motifs of different flowers; the most common being lotus, magnolia, and peonies, landscape paintings of mountains, rivers, and the lush green valleys contrasting with the endless blue sky, showcases their love for nature.

Animals were also portrayed in the ancient arts. Dragons and tigers were the most common animals drawn in the paintings which symbolized royalty and strength.

Each motif denotes a special meaning and represents the various elements of nature. Ancient Chinese philosophy is immensely popular, which sets forth the different concepts of life and makes one peek into their inner soul and understand the true meaning of their journey.

Yin-Yang is one of the most popular ancient Chinese philosophies that describes the complementary forces of nature and how they bring out absolute harmony. Keep reading to delve more into the ancient Chinese art forms.

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Types of Ancient Chinese Art

The most common forms of Chinese arts are paintings, sculptors, pottery, and calligraphy, which started from the beginning of the Song dynasty. The earliest evidence of pottery belonged to the Neolithic period about 2.6 million years ago.

Chinese ceramics, which started off during this era, are popular all over the world. Chinese porcelain became an important export item that was supplied globally.

The materials needed to make the Chinese ceramics are available in abundance within the country and so they were extremely popular among the ancient Chinese folks.

Rulers of the Ming dynasty used these Chinese ceramics and porcelain, which were also sold to the elites across Europe and Asia. Colored ceramic entered the market during 4000 BC, which were developed following four essential steps; forming, firing, decorating, and lastly refining.

Ancient Chinese culture utilized the jade stone to make ornaments and several objects that featured different animals, like turtles, fish, birds, and so on. The artists carved out exceptional designs in the jade stones, which represented nobility.

The various jade ornaments made at that time possessed a hole at the center, which was known to honor the Gods. Ritual jade pieces were also crafted with perfection, which originated during the rule of the Shan dynasty.

The golden age for Chinese art is attributed to the Han dynasty. With the introduction of Han art, ancient China excelled in the fine arts during that age. Apart from this, the Han dynasty was also well known for various forms of visual arts like music, poetry, and literature. They developed intricate tomb arts that caught overwhelming attention.

The painting was considered the most important part of most of the dynasties of ancient China. A vast number of Chinese painters flourished during this time.

They were noteworthy for the different forms of China art. A renowned Chinese painter of that age is Gu Kaizhi, who was a Chinese scholar as well.

He made the silk scroll paintings keeping in mind the artistic traditions and was famous for his portrait paintings, most of which included polychrome and silk. Nymph of the Luo River and Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies are some of his popular artworks. Chinese landscape paintings came into light between 907-1127 AD.

They were of different types, the most famous being the Gong-bi and Shui-mo paintings. Gong-bi was a type of landscape painting that stressed the minute details of different designs and also depicted anecdotes on Chinese history.

Apart from paintings, music and literature were also significant in ancient China. The first imperial music bureau was formed during the Qin dynasty.

The founder of Chinese music is Ling Lun, who used a piece of bamboo pipe to create a tune. Confucious wrote the oldest piece of Chinese music, called Youlan or Solitary Orchid.

The Greek opera inspired the Chinese opera (Xiqu), which includes various art forms like dancing, singing, martial arts as well as acrobatics. Poetry was also a part of it, which was mastered by the ancient poets of the Tang dynasty.

Buddhist Architecture and Sculpture

With the spread of Buddhism in China in 67 AD, Chinese painting and architecture took a new turn. Buddhist scripts and Buddhist art emerged during this time. The Zhou and the Shang dynasties were popular for delicate bronze vessels.

The Shang dynasty crafted the bronze vessels with their legs in the shape of different animal or bird species. The terracotta army made from terracotta was placed in tombs. The tomb belonging to the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang was honored with the terracotta army.

Numerous sculptors including hundreds of horses and soldiers were curved in the terracotta army, with unique faces given to each sculpture of the soldiers. They were meticulously curved with every minute detail.

Many believe that the terracotta army signified the protection of the soul in the afterlife. Buddhist monasteries flourished during the Tang dynasty.

Various sculptors of religious figures were made with Chinese paintings on them. Small-scale sculptors emerged during the Han period. They carved relief scenes on stones and bricks, which can be seen in Wu Liang Shrine at Jiaxiang.

Single standing figurines representing men, women, or servants were made of cast bronze and decorated with gold or silver. A classic example of such a masterpiece of ancient China is the gilded bronze oil lamp of the second century BC, which is carved in the form of a kneeling servant girl.

The Purpose of Art

Most of the Chinese artists were amateurs or scholars. To them, art was a philosophical approach to life, which eventually helped them to gain an audience.

They tried to project their thoughts of the various aspects of life and gave shape to countless motifs. Their admiration for landscapes and the daily objects around them were beautifully portrayed, which further led them to explore their skills.

Chinese art was mostly based on the artists' perspective of different objects. Through their work, their exceptional artistic skills and amazing character were showcased. With time, these arts took the ideals of the different dynasties that came into being and portrayed the philosophical aspects of life.

Burgeoning trade further escalated the creation of various forms of art. The number of craftsmen grew owing to a significant rise in the demand for these arts in China. The popularity of these arts further increased with western colonialism.

Ancient Chinese Calligraphy

Chinese calligraphy was an important part of ancient China. It demonstrated utmost proficiency in painting and the use of brush and ink. Most educated men during the Han period were expert calligraphers. This art involved thick brushstrokes that were aesthetically pleasing. The brushes were made of animal hair and the black paint was developed from soot and glue.

Traditional paintings of the ancient Chinese were perpetually embellished with calligraphy, which became immensely popular among the people. Famous calligraphers of ancient China are Zhu Yunming, Wang Chong, and Wen Zhengming, whose works still amaze people from all over the world.

The running style of calligraphy was developed by Wang Xizhi of the 4th Century AD.

Lanting Xu, which is a collection of poems, was also created by him.

The remarkable calligraphy work, "Famous Concubine Inscription and The Inscription of Wei-shi Henan", was created by Wei Shou during the Eastern Jin dynasty. The Yuan dynasty, which was an integral part of the Mongol empire and ruled by the emperor Kublai Khan, was famous for the different artistic traditions, including calligraphy.

History And Development of Chinese Art

China's history of art and architecture began with the ever-changing Chinese dynasties. After the collapse of the Mongol empire, the artistic traditions were continued by the scholars of that time. The arts that originated in each dynasty showcased the unique ideals of that age.

With the rise of Neolithic pottery in 221 BC, the jade culture emerged, followed by the bronze castings during the Xia dynasty. Along with these, ancient China prospered in poetry, music, pottery, and other art forms as well.

The influence of Buddhism further gave rise to Buddhist art, which inspired millions with its symbolic designs attributing to the various ideals of enlightenment.

Even to this day, the Chinese art market highly values ancient Chinese art and is influenced by it.

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