Chinese history is traditionally organized according to dynasties. While modern humans (Homo sapiens) arrived in China by 75,000 BCE, the first Chinese dynasty, the Xia, was founded about 2205 BCE.
The exhibit on Chinese Art in the Portland (Oregon) Art Museum focuses primarily on artifacts from the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) through the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The caparisoned horse shown above dates to the Sui (581-618 CE) to early Tang dynasty (618-907 CE). In 581 CE Sui Wendi (隋文帝) established the short-lived Sui Dynasty. Many historians call him the great unifier of China. His successor, Sui Yangdi (隋煬)exhausted the state treasury on public works and unsuccessful military enterprises. The Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) is generally considered the second great dynasty. During this time China unified a vast territory and spread its culture into surrounding states and peoples.
The polo players shown above date to the Tang Dynasty.
The Heavenly Kings shown above are guardian figures which date to the Tang Dynasty.
The caparisoned horse shown above dates to the Tang Dynasty.
The Bactrian camel shown above dates to the Tang Dynasty. It is earthenware with a three color glaze.
The cabinet shown above is typical of Chinese furniture during the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. The Chinese treasured this type of cabinet for the elegant simplicity of shape and proportion. The cabinet shown dates to the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911).
The couch shown above dates to the late Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) or the early Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911). It is made from yellow flowering pear wood and cane. The founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) was very suspicious of the educated courtiers around him. His regime was very authoritarian. He established the Brocade Guards (錦衣衛), a kind of secret service staffed by eunuchs. During the Ming Dynasty there was a deep mistrust between the scholarship elite and the central government.
The Qing Dynasty is often seen as a period of prosperity, of decay, of stagnation, of revolution, of lazyness, and challenges. The Qing Dynasty was not Chinese, but were Manchu.
The large storage jar shown above dates to the Warring States period (475 to 221 BCE).
The large storage jar with animal-mask handles is an example of some of the earliest deliberately glazed Chinese ceramic wares. Potters had noticed that when wood ash in the kiln fell on the surface of a vessel, it fused with the clay surface to produce a natural glaze. In this jar, which dates to the Han Dynasty, the glaze was made from wood ash, water, and clay.
The Longquan ware funerary jar shown above dates to the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127). In the late tenth century, the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang were a dominant center for the production of high quality green-glazed stonewares. The glaze is slightly under-fired which prevents it from fusing with the body. As a result, air bubbles trapped in the glaze reflect light which gives the glaze a softly iridescent appearance. The lotus-shaped jar shown above, with its five false “spouts”, was used in funerary rituals.
The Song Dynasty was a time of consolidation for Chinese culture. This period is often called the Chinese Renaissance because of progress in technology and inventions. The period is marked by a revival of the old Confucian traditions.
The large dish shown above dates to the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127).
The large plate shown above dates to the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). It has the seal inscription: “Jade Hall filled with nobility and wealth.” This plate is typical of those produced by commercial kilns in southeast China for trade to markets in Southeast Asia and the Islamic states bordering the Arabian Sea.
The deep bowl with stylized rabbit and floral designs shown above dates to the Late Ming (1368 to 1644) or early Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911).
The large platter, known as Kraak ware, shown above dates to the Late Ming (1368 to 1644) or early Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911).
The bird standing on tortoise shown above dates to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 8 CE). The function of this funerary sculpture is unknown. The tortoise was associated with the earth and a watery underworld, as well as the northern quadrant of the universe. The bird was associated with the heavens, the sun, and the southern quadrant. Originally the sculpture would have been brightly painted.
Shown above is a ritual bell from the Hunan Province. It dates to the Late Shang Dynasty (16th century BCE) to the Early Zhou Dynasty (12th to 10th century BCE). The bell would have been fixed in an upright position and struck with a mallet.
Shown above is a wine cup of cast bronze which dates to the Shang Dynasty.
Shown above is a cast bronze wine storage vessel which dates to the Shang Dynasty. Shang ritual bronzes are decorated with majestic and witty zoomorphic motifs.