. Jade, as known as Nephrite or Jadeite, is a glassy yet tough stone that has been revered by the Chinese Culture for centuries. Jade has been mined and carved into weapons, tools or into other pieces since the Neolithic Period till current day China. Jade is extremely important to the Chinese that they have a Proverb that goes as the following, “Gold has a price; Jade is priceless” (ElectraStone). This indicates that Jade is evaluated so much more differently than all the other expensive metals and gemstones. “Both Jadeite and Nephrite jade are stones formed of interlocking microcrystals” (ElectraStone). This makes Jade come in all different shapes and sizes. This process allows it to have impurities that will always create a different
The Pi-Hsieh is a creature normally believed to be able to ward off evil forces and protect spirits with its magical powers. Due to this belief, this is why many rich deceased Chinese had them inside and outside their tombs to protect them. These beasts were also placed along the spirit road to protect spirits to and from the grave. During the Han dynasty the Pi-Hsieh were portrayed as a winged, four-legged beasts, attributes that is possibly from Western Asia. The wealthy had the creatures craved of vibrant green Jade, “with head raised and jaws open like the creature is emitting a low growl” (NationalPalaceMuesumSelections). The piece is in a posture that indicates that it is strolling forward. This gives us the feeling that it is constantly moving as if it was alive and breathing. “Although the wings are pressed to its back, they give the impression that they will unfold and beat at any minute” (NationalPalaceMuesumSelections). The long beard of this amazing creature sprouts from its lower jaw and flows all the way down to its chest. Toward the later years of the Han Dynasty, the beast’s color of lovely green Jade changed to a marbled yet, warm yellowish brown Jade. Also the appearance is changes also with it, which is noted by many scholars. In the earlier part of the Dynasty, the Pi-Hsieh had a tiger like snout with its green color. Nonetheless, as the Dynasty started closing out the snout changed, becoming longer like a horse or a dragon. This piece that is displayed in Figure 4 hails from the later Han Dynasty. The beast stands at a height of 9.3 cm, and with a length of 13.6 cm (NationalPalaceMuesumSelections). This Pi-Hsieh was once an important part of the imperial accumulation within the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan and still it resides at the
This animal is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is said to be the mount (Vahana) of Lord Vishnu. The Brahminy Kite and Phoenix are considered to be the contemporary representations of this creature. This is also the national symbol of Indonesia and the name of their national carrier. Which animal?
Chinese Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a significant sculpture that represented the armies of Qin Shi Huang (the first Emperor of China). It is also known as the eight wonders of the world. It described a strong personality and specific characteristics from that era. This amazing artwork not only shows the remarkable historical value, but also the great artistic achievement. Qin Terracotta art is a great success in both sculpture and architecture.
Located about 40 miles outside of Xian, a city situated in the northeastern section of China, the Tomb of the First Emperor is one of the famous sites of the modern era and has captivated the attention of archaeologists over the past four decades. The site itself is relatively large, with the outer gate being slightly less hen 7,000 yards around and the inner, underground palace containing “a gigantic pit measuring about 300 square yards was excavated in terraces to a depth of more than 100 feet. Archaeologists estimate the size of the subterranean palace built at the bottom of the pit to be about 400 feet by 525 feet, equal to 48 basketball courts” (Hoh, Erling). Yet despite its massive size and the over 40-meter mound that covers the submerged palace itself, the tomb remained relatively unknown until 1974, when a group of farmers discovered some of the first of the famous terracotta warriors that are spread throughout the site. These clay figurines exist in the thousands, and the three major test pits that archaeologists have started to uncover there are over “7,000 terracotta warriors with horses and chariots, all designed to protect the First Emperor in the afterlife” (Liu, Yang). The second most common group of artifacts came from the massive amount of conscripts, estimated at approximately 700,000 in number, who worked for over 35 years to build the tomb. Those that survived the grueling process were rewarded for their hard work and effort by being killed, mainly in order to keep the tombs many traps and treasure troves hidden. So, as you can guess, the murdering of that many people required a fairly large amount of graves to be buried in, and so archaeologists began to analyze the archaeological remains that were present th...
The Creosote bush, Larrea tridentate, is the most characteristic specie of the North American deserts. It is in the Zygophyllacaeae family. Although considered native specie, it is actually an invader from South America. The common name creosote suggests one of the reasons it is able to survive in some of harshest environments. According to Schultz and Floyd, “stems and evergreen leaves are covered with a sticky resin that smells like, but doesn’t contain, the wood preservative creosote…the resin screens leaves the leaves against ultraviolet radiation, reduces water loss, and poisons microbes and plant eating animals.” The creosote bush starts as a single stem, but then when it matures it grows into a circle. The outer edges of the bush flourish will the center, where the soil has been depleated, dies. These two things about the creosote help it survive long periods of time. In the Mojave desert “a specimen in question was estimated to about 6000 years old, which makes it twice as old as California Redwoods (Sequoia) and at least 1000 years older than Bristle-cone pine (Pinus aristata)” (Williams) making it the oldest plant in North America. Individual creosotes can live for about 100 years, but the circles that form are exact clones of the original. “An elliptical grouping of such clones found in the Mojave Desert has been dated as about 11,700 years old, arguably making it the oldest plant life yet known” (Microsoft Encarta).
The Story of the Stone is one of spiritual awakening, not of success through filiality. Though Bao-yu realizes his efforts by completing traditionally Confucian tasks, he does so only after a compelling spiritual experience in the Land of Illusion.
In the early years of China, the Chinese began a period of establishment in the world with ideas and teachings of new religions, changing powers, and building empires. In a nutshell the Chinese were progressing toward new technology, writings, and belief systems. The Chinese saw many dynasties come and go as well as many ups and downs experienced with societies over the course of history. As all nation’s go through change, the Chinese experienced changes from other lands far away and produced many concepts in which helped other realms to see change for themselves. The Chinese used many inventive innovations to prosper as an economic power and stabilize intellectually. Change mixed with innovation proved to be the roots of China’s success as a powerful nation to be reckoned with for the vast numbers appeared in China’s favor.
By analyzing the differences between the Zun and Dou vessel, one is able to glean insight into the Shang and Zhou cultures. The two dynasties ruled in a similar manner, and were consumed with the idea of prestige and status. They were interested in maintaining communication with ancestors as a sign of respect. This is evident through the utilization and application of the two objects. Both felt that art, specifically bronze, would indicate wealth and power for generations to come. This is why they played such a prominent role in tombs and why they exist today to examine and analyze, providing a glimpse of ancient Chinese culture
It’s necessary to mention that there are a few patterns, such as spiral-cloud shape, or animals, such as taotie, frequently appear on a large proportion of bronzes excavated from Shang and Zhou dynasties. The fact is, however, even though most of the bronzes have same decorations, upon detail comparison, discrepancy is everywhere: taoties on the two vessels are generally the same but completely dissimilar in detail. Am I fascinated by this incredible property of bronze vessel from ancient China since it represented ancient Chinese’s pursue of creativity and uniqueness. The decoration and technique system created during Bronze Age may not as accomplished as the other inventions like four great inventions created in later China; it’s the essence of culture at that time and embodiment of the intelligence of ancient Chinese.
...t so tall but what he did have was naked pottery figurines, chariots, horses and weapons. He also had a royal kitchen pit, which included hundreds of dogs, sheep, pigs and articles of everyday use. His pits ranged in sizes and lengths ranged from 13 to 328 feet. Compared to Qin warriors, the pottery figures are one tenth of the actual objects and vary from warriors to civilian, male and female.” ( )
Daily life was influenced in both Ancient India and China because of religion and philosophies. Their well being, their beliefs, and their caste system were affected by religion and philosophies.
We have all been in a situation where we have immigrated to a new country for different reasons regarding, better future, or education. In the book Jade of Peony, Wayson Choy describes a struggle of a Chinese family as they settle in Canada, with their new generation of kids born here, the family struggles to keep their children tied to their Chinese customs and traditions as they fit in this new country. The Chinese culture needs to be more open minded as it limits the future generation’s potential. Chinese culture limitations are seen through the relationship expectations, education, gender roles and jobs.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues foreigners will come upon is to maintain a strong identity within the temptations and traditions from other cultures. Novelist Frank Delaney’s image of the search for identity is one of the best, quoting that one must “understand and reconnect with our stories, the stories of the ancestors . . . to build our identities”. For one, to maintain a firm identity, elderly characters often implement Chinese traditions to avoid younger generations veering toward different traditions, such as the Western culture. As well, the Chinese-Canadians of the novel sustain a superior identity because of their own cultural village in Vancouver, known as Chinatown, to implement firm beliefs, heritage, and pride. Thus in Wayson Choy’s, The Jade Peony, the novel discusses the challenge for different characters to maintain a firm and sole identity in the midst of a new environment with different temptations and influences. Ultimately, the characters of this novel rely upon different influences to form an identity, one of which being a strong and wide elderly personal
I chose to do my research paper on Egyptian pottery because in my art appreciation class I was most fascinated with the ancient Egyptian era. I found this website that explained all about how pottery they made helped them function in everyday use. It also told me a lot about how the made everything.
Chinese dragons do not have the same physical features as western dragons. In ancient Chinese art the look of the dragon went through various changes. "Snake – like figures have been found painted on pottery dating to the Shang d...
Compare Qiuyu Yu’s work with Jay Chou’s “Blue and White Porcelain,” which is a real song talking about different Chinese historical events and cultures. The song has a sense of rhythm and tries to spark people’s attention toward traditional Chinese culture. For example, the song goes: