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The role of art in religion
The role of art in religion
The role of art in religion
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Wanqiao Li
AHIS 125
Rika Hiro
Sep 17th 2014
Paper 1: 2a and 2b
The pair of bronze vessels, the Zun and the Gui, being analyzed has many similarities and differences. The continuation as well as changes in function and style of bronze vessels from Shang to Zhou is evident through comparing and contrasting the Zun vessel and the Gui vessel.
The Zun vessel, dated approximately 13th to 12th century BCE, is a late Shang bronze vessel used to hold wine. The Gui vessel, dated approximately 10th century BCE, is a Western Zhou bronze vessel used to hold cooked rice. Both vessels are created using the piece-mold casting technique. Due to their distinct functions, the shape of the two vessels are designed very differently according to their use. The
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This balance of proportions is visually pleasing to the eye as it is elongated and elegantly shaped while also being stable and firm for holding liquid. The large opening at the top smoothly curves outwards, making the wine to pour out easier from the vessel and at the same time creates a graceful S-shape for the vessel. This is contrasted by the Gui vessel, where its height and width are about 1 to 1 in proportion and is consist of a spherical top and a cubic base. The shallow but wide shape of the vessel is more suitable in holding rice, as it is easier to take the rice out of the vessel. Two handles are attached to the side of the vessel in order for it to be easily moved and carried. In addition, the Gui vessel has a lid with a hollow designed handle at top that also contributes to the easiness of usage of the vessel. The design and decorations of the vessels are also distinctly different with one another. The Zun vessel is heavily decorated with the taotie design, which is a common motif of the Shang dynasty. The vessel is covered with the taotie design on all four sides of both the middle and lower section. It is also decorated with heads …show more content…
The reliefs and carvings on the Zun vessel are very solid and thick, creating a mysterious, powerful, and god-like feeling that is appropriate as its main function is also to be used in rituals. The Gui, however, has a relatively more flat and simplified design. The taotie motif that is so commonly used in Shang vessels is no longer seen and is replaced by very thin and simple geometric patterns. The two serpent/dragon- like handles on the sides are carved with more care and detail, but it still lacks complexity compared to the decorations on the Zun vessel. Although Gui vessels are also used in rituals, this vessel’s simple decorations show a shift of emphasis to the practical usage of the vessel. The geometric designs are purely there to aesthetically please its viewers rather than being a deep symbol or motif. Although the Zun vessel and the Gui vessel contrast greatly in design and decoration, the two of them have similarities for their focus on balance and symmetry. The Zun vessel is symmetrical on all four sides. The width opening at the top is well balanced by the heavily decorated middle and base section, making it very pleasing to the eye. The smooth curvy form of
The fall of the Shang dynasty ended the river valley society in China, and made way for the beginning of developed civilization in China. After the collapsed Shang dynasty came the Zhou dynasty, which began in 1029 BCE and flourished until 700 BCE, but it did not officially collapse until 403 BCE. Following that came the period of political disintegration and unease, known as the Era of the Warring States, from 402 BCE to 222 BCE. Finally, the Qin dynasty arose in 221 BCE and brought order back to China, however this did not last, and the dynasty fell in 207 BCE. Revolts over the Qin emperor’s death broke out, and it was the rise of the Han dynasty that restored China’s political
The difference between an archaic statue such as Kroisos (fig. 5-11) and a classical statue such as Doryphoros (fig. 5-42) may not seem very great in a single glance. In fact, you may not notice any differences in that one glance. Yet, if you were to look at them closely, you can see that these two statues actually have very little in common.
The Shang Dynasty invented and, over the years, perfected the technique of casting a bronze vessel from a clay mold assembly, which this wine vessel has also been made from using those techniques (Cantor). This mold was formed around a model of the vessel and was then cut into sections that were carved or impressed in the desired design, in this case the braided or grid design, on the inner or outer surfaces. The decorated clay piece-mold was then fired and reassembled around a clay core. Small bronze spacers were used to hold the piece-mold and the clay core apart. Then, molten bronze was poured into the mold. Using this piece-mold casting technique helped the bronze worker to achieve greater sharpness and definition in any intricate design
The Grizzly bear house partition screen is one such example of important, symbolic Tlingit art. The partition screens were used both symbolically as well as served as a dividing screen for the chief separating his living quarters from the rest of his tribal house. This example is made in an unusually grand scale of 15 x 8 feet and is carved in bold low relief from cedar and was later painted. It artistically and symbolically represents Chief Shakes extended family’s origin, the grizzly bear, with smaller heads of the bear making up other parts of its body such as the eyes, ears, chest, as well as many other sections of the piece. The smaller heads create a highly symmetrical design within the piece as well as further symbolize the important image of the bear. Carved out of the reproductive area of the bear is the doorway for the chief, additionally creating an important symbolic representation of their chief being birthed from the grizzly bear every time he enters and leaves his sacred quarters.
Edward L. Dreyer. Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405-1433.
Some of the artifacts found were sharp rocks, shells, eating utensils, wheels, tablets, axes, spears, and other items. A drawing on a tablet was the place that the early edition of the pontoon was seen. There were other parts of a story in the painting. It seems to tell the roles of the men and the women in the civilization. Claiming that the women’s role was to sow and reap the crops and that the men’s job was to hunt and to tend to the animals.
Compare and contrast the form and content of the Archaic Etruscan sculpture Apollo of Veii (Figure 6-4) to the Archaic Greek sculpture Anavysos Kouros (Figure 5-9). Note how their functions differed as well.
China was a civilization that was surrounded by wildlife and unique geographical features. Located in South Asia, the Himalayas and Tian Shan mountain ranges blocked the way to the west and southwest. Thick rainforests covered the southeast, while the Gobi Desert obstructed the way to the north. To the east of China there was the Pacific Ocean. All of these features prevented trade from other civilizations, but also provided protection.
The pieces of sculpture are both carved using the subtractive method of sculpting from stone. However, the types of stone used were very different. The sculpture of Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II was carved from a stone called greywacke, a dark colored, very hard stone the Egyptians prized for sculpture despite the fact t...
With very little textual information available from this time period, archaeologists knew very little about the items that were traded, cultures that traded with each other, and the trade routes. The Ulu Burun shipwrecks acts as a time...
Although Qiu Ying’s Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a replica, the structure of the buildings and the people’s clothes clearly show the characteristics of the Ming dynasty. This skillful representation is a work of Qiu Ying’s own creation and imagination, in which he captures a more exciting city, Suzhou, compared to the ancient city of Kaifeng depicted in Zhang’s version. Qiu Ying’s version is two times longer than Zhang’s version. Using Suzhou city in the Ming dynasty as the background, Qui Ying’s painting captures the real lives of urban and rural people in Jiangnan during the Ming period. It shows the lively community life and folk customs with grand and magnificent scenes as well as illustrating the economic, political, military and political conditions at that
When China Ruled the Seas: The reassure fleet of the dragon throne, (1405-1433) by Louise Levathes
There various types of lines in this painting, curvilinear lines dominate. The curvilinear lines are found in the way the woman 's body is positioned, the eagles wing and claws, the way the woman’s clothing in draped, the leaves, and in the spout and the handle of the pitcher. Diagonal lines also are shown in this painting. These lines can be found in the woman’s arm that is exposed, the lines of sight from the woman to the eagle and the position in which the head of the eagle is. These two types of lines help convey a sense of movement, curvilinear lines are also very pleasing to the eye. Another type of line that is shown in the painting is horizontal line. This type of line is found in the design of the pillar that the eagle is standing on. This painting also includes an implied line. The type of implied line is line of sight, this line goes from the woman to the eagle. Then form the eagl to the arm of the women, which brings the
In the Dynastic cycle, the Shang and Zhou Dynasties of ancient China showed similar periods of decline. They had both similarities and differences. Both Dynasties had an authoritarian type of government, Which means that they both have one main ruler with lots of power that gives only a little power to the government. Starting off, there were many similarities between the Shang and Zhou dynasties. During their rule, both Shang and Zhou leaders started ignoring the needs of the people and not only the poor. Both leaders only cared about their wealth and not the problems of the people. They started giving only a little money to the wealth. Well, both Dynasties were similar in some way they also had some differences. After Shang rulers started
Figure 2: A depiction of trepanning from the painting Cutting the Stone (circa 1494) by Hieronymus