A history of Chinese art

Part 3 - The Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.)

Between 230 and 221 B.C. the king of Qin, Zheng, conquered the six states of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi: the period of political fragmentation ended and the first centralized Empire in Chinese history was founded. King Zheng assumed the title of Shihuang, and during his reign adopted a series of measures aimed at centralising and consolidating the unity of the state: the uniformity of writing (the "little seal" style), money and units of weights had a profound influence on the unification of the country. The Qin Dynasty reigned for only about ten years, but the unification it achieved was to be inheritated by the Han. One of the major projects undertaken by the Qin was the construction of the Great Wall: Qin Shihuang linked up the tracts of wall built by the various states for defensive purposes, thus creating a wall of over 5000 km. The sites and remains of the Qin are quite numerous, the most well known being the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang: during the excavation more than 10000 items of every kind were found. The famous earthenware soldiers, generals and chariots with horses, are all drawn up in regular formations. The number of infantrymen, archers, chariot drivers and cavalrymen inside the first three of the four pits has been calculated at over 10000, the horses more than 500, the wooden warchariots more than 130. All these pieces show traces of polychromy, and each individual soldier has been given his own personality, with a definite lifelike expression on his face. Qin Shihuang built in Xianyang, the capital, vast and beautiful palaces; one series reproduced the apartments of each king defeated by the Qin army. Some of the walls are in hollow bricks with ornamental motifs of dragons and phoenixes, and the interiors are frescoed. Plenty of bronzes have been found, among these there are plates reproducing the edict regarding the unifications of the units of weights and measures.   Painted terracotta warrior from the tomb pit of Qin Shihuangdi, about 210 B.C.

The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.- A.D.220)

The reign of the Qin was short and bitter, all that recalled the glory of Zhou was to be destroyed and forgotten and many scholars were killed because of their reluctance; anyway, these brutal measures unified the various tribes and principalities. So sharp was the popular reaction against the despotism of the Qin that the Han rulers adopted a policy of laissez-faire and began to revive classical learning of Zhou times. Historians divide the Han Dynasty in two periods: Western (or Former) Han, from 202 B.C. to A.D. 9, with capital Chang'an; and Eastern (or Later) Han, from 25 to 225, with capital Loyang. In A.D. 9 the usurper Wang Meng seized the throne, but his reign ended in year 25, because of the fierce opposition that his revolutionary program encountered by the privileged class. When the Western Han established their capital at Chang'an, they inaugurated one of the longest dynasties in Chinese history. The bronze figures and animals found in Han tombs reveal the high level reached in bronze casting: the lamp held by a kneeling servant girl in guilt bronze and the bronze horse on a swallow are marvellous pieces. Han bronzes are generally more utilitarian than Shang and Zhou bronzes, and shapes are simple and functional, often with inlaid decorations.     1. Lamp held by kneeling servant. Gilt bronze. 2. Bronze TLV mirror.

Bronze objects as swords, knives, utensils and harnesses have been found, often inlaid with gold, turquoise or jade, sometimes decorated in the animal style of the Ordos region. Among bronzes, mirrors deserve particular attention, expecially the so-called TLV mirrors because of their symbolic meaning: a TLV mirror usually has a large central boss inside a square panel with twelve smaller bosses separating the characters of the twelve earthly branches. The Ts, Ls, Vs are engraved in a circular zone with animals; these mirrors usually symbolize the system of the Five Elements, very popular in Han times. The central circle within a square represents the earth, while the four directions, seasons and colours are symbolised by their animals.

While examples of monumental sculpture are scarce, relief sculpture is found all over China, showing clear regional differencies that disappear after Han Dynasty, when China becomes more a singular cultural entity. These reliefs are usually pottery tiles or engravings on the surface of a stone slab, which sometimes preserve the outline of the lost mural paintings of the Han Dynasty, from which they probably derived style and subject matter. Han painting comprised frescoes, painting on lacquer, painted tomb reliefs and painting on silk, but just few examples are preserved.

Above, shooting birds on a lake shore and harvesting. Moulded pottery tile. Themes were often Confucian or Taoist, as well as examples of hunting scenes and daily life; landscape played a secondary role. The quality of Han ceramics varies from unglazed and rough earthenware to a high-fired glazed stoneware similar to porcelain. Small models of servants, personal goods, animals and buildings accompanied the dead in his burial; often these models were realized in pottery covered with a coloured glaze. Some of the figurines were individually modelled, but the majority were produced in moulds. A fine-quality stoneware was produced as well, which can be considered the ancestor of the Song celadons, with a thin glaze ranging from olive-green to grey and brown.

 

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