Review of Early Chinese Funerary Art

Early Funerary Art: China “Central Plain” Yellow River Yangzi River  Bronze Vessels Abstract Notion of “Ancestor” : Unindividualized : Collective Bronze square ding, mid- Shang dynasty, mid-2nd millennium BCE (1m high), Henan province, China ...

Early Funerary Art: China “Central Plain” Yellow River Yangzi River  Bronze Vessels Abstract Notion of “Ancestor” : Unindividualized : Collective Bronze square ding, mid- Shang dynasty, mid-2nd millennium BCE (1m high), Henan province, China  Patterning Taotie – Song dynasty (976- 1279 CE) term Rubbings of taotie motifs on bronze vessels, late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 – 1050 BCE). From Shanghai Bowuguan qingtongqi yanjiuzu, Shang Zhou qingtongqi wenshi (Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe, 1984), 59 (no. 165), 75 (no. 205), 32 (no. 81), 16 (no. 35), 54 (no. 145), 74 (no. 203), 51 (no. 139). Wine container (hu), Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), 5th–4th century BCE. Bronze inlaid with bronze, H. 33 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art  Compare Patterning 13th century BCE 5th-4th century BCE  Shift in Ancestral Worship Two Major Changes in Ancestral Worship through Chinese history 1) Eastern Zhou (770-256 BCE) : From the unified political entity to individual families → site of ancestral worship from lineage temple to family graveyard 2) Northern Song (960-1127 CE) : Expansion of the orthodox ritual codes to ordinary people  Zu: Familial “lineage” *Social community --> extension of a family *Mutual dependence between the living and the dead *Development of ritual practices : funerary objects and images Earliest extant case: Wu Liang’s shrine : Aristocrat who once served at the court of the Eastern Han dynasty Elevation drawing and floor plans of Wu Liang Shrine (ancestral temple of Mr. Wu Liang), Eastern Han dynasty, 151 CE, Shandong province, China A view of Wu Liang Shrine at the entrance of the funerary park, AD 151, Shandong, China Layout of a standard Han/ Eastern Han graveyard https://barbierilow.faculty.history.ucsb.edu/Research/Wuzhai shanRemastered/index.htm Making Ink Rubbings  ceiling gable Line drawing of the pictorial reliefs installed on the walls of Wu Liang Shrine. 1) Heavenly Omens Mandate of Heaven (tianming 天命) Omen as vehicle to express political ideals 2) Mythical figures Queen Mother of the West The idea of immortality Mt. Kunlun Queen Mother of the West. Clay tomb relief. E.Han 3) Beginning of the Human History  The Three Sovereigns Three Sovereigns: Shen Nong, Zhu Rong, Fuxi/ Nuwa  Five Emperors Five Emperors: Huangdi, Zhuan Xu, Ku, Yao, Shun  The Xia Dynasty The Xia dynasty: Yu and Jia  4) “Portrait” of Wu Liang himself A courtly official paying homage to Wu Liang Tombs as the new center of ancestral worship *Concept of li : Ritually proper deportment in all social circumstances, ranging from serious religious ceremonies to trivialities of daily etiquette. Most complex among 4 major family rituals: (capping, wedding, funeral, and sacrificial rites) Significance/ complexity of the funerary rite → Provided important rules/codes for tomb making and funerary art  Dualism in ancient mortuary discourses Conceptual *Hun-soul – ‘heavenly soul’ *Po-soul – earthly soul Visual/Material Yongqi (Practical articles) *Mingqi (Spirit articles) Two types of tomb structures : Vertical pit (developed earlier) : Horizontal chamber(s)  Mawangdui Tomb No.1 Excavation of Mawangdui Tomb No. 1, Location of Mawangdui Tomb no. 1 2nd c. BCE, Changsha, Hunan Province. Floor plan (top) and elevation drawing (bottom) of Mawangdui Tomb No.1. 2nd c. BCE. Hunan province. China Reconstruction of the Mawangdui Tomb No.1.  Casket (guo) Coffins (guan) Photograph of the entire casket of Mawangdui Tomb No. 1, seen from above Three of four coffins of Lady Dai 2nd coffin of Lady Dai Front panel of coffin showing Lady Dai Various immortals and fantastic animals painted on the 2nd coffin. Colors on lacquer wood. Top: 3rd Coffin of Lady Dai Bottom: Detail of Mt. Kunlun on 3rd Coffin of Lady Dai Innermost (4th) coffin of Lady Dai Feather embroidery on the 4th coffin of Lady Dai Top: Wrapping of the body of Lady Dai Bottom Left: Patterning on red silk fabric which wrapped the body Bottom Right: Decoration from inner-most coffin Grave goods: clothing, household articles, food.  Lacquered and painted screen Food tray and musician figurines  “Spirit Seat” Painted Screen from Mawangdui tomb no.1., 2nd c. BCE Five figurines (musicians) from Mawangdui tomb no.1. paint on wood. 32.5-38 cm H. ‘Happy Home’ *(L) “Name banner” of Lady Dai (the tomb occupant), Mawangdui Tomb No.1, Hunan province, China. After 168 BCE. Found on top of the first (innermost coffin)  Sacrifice Scene Mawangdui name banner, detail of the bottom section Mawangdui name banner, detail of the middle section Mawangdui name banner, detail of the top section “Polycentric” Vision of Afterlife Horizontal (chamber) tomb  Correspondence between tomb structure and pictorial program Tomb entrance Elevation drawing and floor plan of Cangshan tomb. Shandong province, China. 2nd century CE. Eastern Han.  Funerary procession over a river. Cangshan, Shandong province. Mid- 2nd century CE. (west wall) Movement Movement Funerary procession to the inn. (east wall)  ‘Portrait’ Niche on east wall of main chamber (top) Entertainment. Cangshan, Shandong province. Mid-2nd century CE (lintel on the left side of the chamber). (bottom) Driving outdoors in the afterlife. (lintel on the right side of the chamber) “Immortality after death” Queen Mother of West  Mt. Kunlun as Land of Immortality Mt. Kunlun depicted on a foot panel of one of Lady Dai’s coffins, Mawangdui tomb no.1, Hubei, 2nd BCE. Incense burner in the shape of Mt. Kunlun found in Liu Sheng’s tomb. 113 BCE, Mancheng, Hebei province, China  Wood, Stone, Jade and Material Symbolism of Jade Wood: Mortal existence Stone: Endurance; analogous with eternity Jade: Finest among stones; ‘essence of stone’ Bi-disc, about 2000 B.C.E. mottled dark grey-brown nephrite. Diam 30.3 cm. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Jade bi-disk Drawing of Prince Liu Sheng’s tomb (aka “Mancheng” tomb), Han dynasty, 113 BCE, Mancheng, Hebei province, China  L: Parts of the “jade body” of Liu Sheng R: Reconstructed “jade body” of Liu Sheng Jade bi-disc with Double Jade figurine found near Liu Dragon Ornaments in Sheng’ coffin Mancheng Tomb 1.  Inscription at the bottom of the fugurine: “Jade gentleman of Antiquity”