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Ritual vessels, (1600-1050 BCE), were made of bronzes. 

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According to Stokstad and Cothren, "Shang tombs reveal a warrior culture of great splendor and violence." They revealed this during the Shang Dynasty through human and animal sacrifices, chariots with the skeleton of the deceased horses and drivers, hundreds of jade, ivory, lacquer objects, gold & silver ornaments, and bronze vessels like the picture above. This was a time when Shang burials showed the civilization's great wealth and the ruling class's power to cosign such significant quantities of treasure to the earth. Some other developments the Shang dynasty had were their own unique symbol called the characters. These characters had pictographs that told a story of what it meant.

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BRONZE BELLS, 433 BCE, was made of bronze. 

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Stokstad and Cothren explain that the Zhou dynasty was "a feudal society developed.., it was stable and peaceful." From the art perspective, ritual bronze bells continued to play an important role during the Zhou dynasty, and new forms developed. Another form that developed was music that played a ritual part in rituals for communicating with the supernatural, for the taotie typically appears on the front and back of each bell. Tombs had different vessels and objects depending on the person that was buried there. It was what the person enjoyed and things that represented them.

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Terra Cotta Army, 221-206 BCE, made of clay.

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According to Stokstad and Cothren, "this dynasty is known for its massive terra cotta army included in an emperor's burial." This is one of the largest tombs that have been found with the most burial objects found in them. These soldiers represent how important the emperor was with the power he had.

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PAINTED BANNER, 206 BCE-220 CE, made of colors on silk.

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According to Stokstad and Cothren, the "Han Dynasty marked the beginnings of a new age, when the philosophical ideals of Daoism and Confucianism, formulated during the troubled times of Eastern Zhou, became central to Chinese thought." This was a time of art development, for example, according to the video "Han Dynasty Art", "art production shifts from tombs to [confucianism] court." The paintings gain prominence in the sense that they're based on Confucianist and Daoist principles. In the "Painted Banner," some things that stand out in this silk painting have imagery of sky/heaven realm, earth realm, and the underworld. There are fantastic details of a deceased woman's ancestral deast with vessels. Some symbols that stand out are mythical beings, sun crows, and a torch dragon.

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Rock-cut cave, 220-589 CE. Buddha was carved out of a cave. 

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This dynasty is known for its rock-cut caves carved with Buddhist images along the silk road. Plus, it is known for the earliest Buddhist art in China.

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ALTAR TO AMITABHA BUDDHA, 593 CE, made of bronze. 

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During the Sui Dynasty, the Chinese style of Buddhist art evolves. The material that developed in Buddha art during the Sui dynasty is bronze considered a precious metal, with intricate details, and dynamic flowing lines. All these materials are used in the statue "Altar to Amitabha Buddha," although it isn't like the traditional, the changes to it give it different symbols to represent Buddhism. The material, details, and elegance show how art has evolved and how people still believe in Buddhism. According to Stokstad and Cothren, "the entire country adopted the Buddhist faith," by the time this dynasty emerged. Throughout dynasties, there is a development, but this one so far is the most developed with art.

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CAMEL CARRYING A GROUP OF MUSICIANS, mid-8th century, earthenware with three-color glazes.

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According to the video "Tang Dynasty Art," this is a "Golden Age" of cosmopolitanism and artistic splendor. This is the moment when the dragon is among its heights compared to the rest of China's history. The sculpture expresses the hassle between China, Central Asia, and further west through the silk road. According to Stokstad and Cothren, the silk road was a 5,000-mile network of caravan routes from the Han capital to Rome where it brought Chinese luxury goods to Western markets. People were able to share, sell, and inspire others through their art and ideas. This was a big development in people's lives and artistic representation. Not only was this a time of art development, but also when Buddhism spreads "like a mighty wave" across China.

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Fan Kuan TRAVELER'S AMONG MOUNTAINS AND STREAMS, early 11th century. Hanging scroll with ink and colors on silk. 

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The Song Dynasty was the years of civilization development including moveable type printing technology, paper money, gunpowder, and compass. From the art perspective, landscape painting becomes a popular way to show civilization. For example in the painting above, according to Stokstad and Cothren "the landscape represents no specific place..the artist expresses the ideal forms of behind appearances; in the rational, order composition, he expresses the intelligence of the universe." This goes to show that artistic work can be made with the use of imagination and what the artist sees. As viewers, we are able to "wander freely through their sites."

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Xia Gui SECTION OF TWELVE VIEWS OF LANDSCAPE, early 13th century CE. Handscroll with the ink of silk. 

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According to Stokstad and Cothren, the Southern Song dynasty "is known for its emotional and intuitive landscapes that convey the impression of nature in a few strokes." An example of this is in the painting above, the landscape is represented in an intimate and lyrical view of nature. The deft brushstrokes show a mist in the background, simplified forms, stark contrasts of light and dark, asymmetrical composition, and great expanses of space to make objects seem closer and others farther.