Chinese art Essay

Many of the samples that exist at this time are often crude or unattractive but they served the distinct purpose in the artistic growth in the country and the economy. Art has continuously become clear and refined throughout. The Bronze Age The earliest evidence of the bronze work in Chinese bronze is dated back to the Shang dynasty which occurred in 1500-1000 BC. The dynasty covered the northern and central plains of the country and comprised of the delta in River Yellow. Bronze at this period was used to create vessels that were largely ceremonial and used for religious purposes. Casting used in the development of weaponry was however simple and it required the use of two-piece molds unlike in another form of arts.

If ornamentation was required, however, the process of molding was more complex and difficult which required the use of metal decals or at times filigrees after the first casting had been made. One of the most outstanding characteristics of the Chinese art is the extent to which it reflects the class structure that has existed at different times in Chinese history. The arts in Chinese history were largely created by anonymous craftsmen in the period. It is believed that during the Shang and Zhou periods, craftsmen producing religious crafts were controlled by the state and the courts. Crops grown at this places at the time included dates and cotton. Use of advanced technology used in indoor planning and plumbing, city planning and public sewage management was advanced.

Breakthroughs in the fields of craftsmanship, writing and advanced understanding of metallurgy at the period were also featured. Peace was also a key characteristic of this period as, despite their highly developed skills in metal work, few Harappan weapons have been found. Glyptic art, which was popular in some regions was a sign that the Indus valley had contact with the Mesopotamia. The newly discovered civilization would acquire its name as Harappa and pushed the history of South Asia to 1500 years. Entirely different in the form of their structures is the nudity in which the art was represented in the Indus Valley. One example of the nude girl is the Dancing Girl. Although bony, she was used for religious purposes as a representation of the providence of life.

The nude male torso that stands next to the dancing girl is entirely different from the Dancing Girl. For instance, believers of the art in the northern, central and eastern Asia developed the Northern branch of the Buddhist art, the eastern side and Southeast Asia went further on to develop the Southern branch. In India in particular, the art flourished and was able to co-develop with Hindu and the Jain art. The Chinese Buddhist art developed in form of cave temple complexities that were built together which each of the temples likely influencing the development of the other one. As Buddhism took root in both India and China, it became a major cultural force that was able to inspire most of the brilliant paintings and sculptures of these countries.

While the art was developed, it was closely parallel to the phases that religious growth was going through in the region. Buddhism in India brought a large range of divine beings, all these images came to be depicted in images inform of paintings at temples. The earliest of the Buddhist images owed its style to the tradition that existed at the period but over time it was able to develop its unique and independent style. Sculptures were the most popular form of art in China and India. , during the Shang and the Zhou dynasties, sculptures are thought to have developed in China and matured during the Qin and Han dynasties. India is thought to have been the originators of Buddhism before it was able to spread to China and the rest of Central Asia.

Theravada Buddhism is rooted to the Ceylonese Buddhist that traveled all the way from Sri Lanka to Burma. The dharma, Buddha and the Shanghai are the three fundamental aspects that are used in Theravada Buddhist theory. A concept that is unique to the Theravada is the fact that the Buddha is not a god to be worshipped by the populace but rather a teacher that influence and is to be followed. The Dharma is the teachings of Buddha and consists of the words and deeds that was created by Buddha and therefore must be followed. This path leads the followers from the real of desire, the realm of reform, the realm of formlessness and lastly the follower reaches his destination being the Nirvana.

The history of Woodblock-printed books that were in existence in Japan existed as early as the eighth century. In the year sixth Century, the Empress Koken commissioned the creation of one million small wooden pagodas that were printed with Buddhist text. Such texts were then distributed to various temples in the country as the suppression of EMI Rebellion. By the end of the eleventh century, the Buddhist temples in Japan produced books of various types such as the sutras and the mandalas and another kind of Buddhist texts and another form of pictorials. For many centuries that followed, printing of woodblock in Japan was only restricted to Buddhist work. A woodblock print was often seen and conceived to be a commercial venture by the publisher.