China in Twelve Artworks
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Originally part of a longer scroll copied from a lost work by the Five Dynasties painter Zhou Wenju, this scroll is an important relic of Chinese court figure painting. Executed in the "baimiao" or outline mode with touches of color only in their red hair ribbons and lips, the women and children of these intimate scenes are brought vividly to life by the sensitive brushwork of the artist. Additional scrolls preserving the other sections of Zhou Wenju's composition are found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and at Villa I Tatti, Florence. A colophon dated to 1140 and preserved with the Cleveland portion states that this copy of Zhou Wenju's scroll was made for the scholar and critic Zhang Cheng (d. 1143).
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'Guang' Covered Ritual Wine Vessel with Animal, Bird, and 'Taotie' Decor
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Zhu Da, better known as Bada Shanren, was born into the Yiyang branch of the Ming imperial family in 1626, in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. His work ineradicably changed the course of the history of Chinese painting more than almost any other artist. Despite this impact and his high birth, little is known of his life and even less of his motivations. It is almost certain that most of his family was killed during the dynastic wars at the end of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Zhu Da himself chose sanctuary in Buddhist monasteries, where he remained until the late 1670s. The Buddhist life allowed a person of his capacities tremendous freedom during the seventeenth century. He was able to pursue a quiet life of Buddhist teaching, poetry, and painting and calligraphy. Loyal to the Ming until his death, he refused to serve or even to acknowledge the Qing (1644-1911). The poem on this painting translates: A Ming cake seen from one side, The moon, so round when the melons rise. Everyone points to the mooncakes, But hope that the melons will ripen is a fool's dream. Translation by Richard M. Barnhart During the insurrection that brought about the downfall of the Mongol rule of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) in the fourteenth century, moon cakes were carried by the rebels as recognizable signs of their political allegiance. Although that earlier rebellion succeeded, Zhu Da seems to imply that no uprising against the Manchu Qing has a hope of success. Recent research has shown that the melon was also apparently a symbol of loyalty to the preceding dynasty and that, because of its many seeds, the melon was an embodiment of royal lineage.
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'He' Ritual Pouring Vessel with Animal-Head Spout, Openwork Handle, and Anthropomorphic Legs
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'Guang' Covered Ritual Wine Vessel with Animal and 'Taotie' Decor
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How to understand China from a historical perspective? For a civilization that diligently produces more written documents than most other cultures, mining the wealth of textual sources is the usual approach. Here, however, we take a route less traveled. China is shown in 12 artworks, spanning three millennia from the Bronze Age to the 20th century. Most are displayed in the University Study Gallery along with a selection of complementary objects. The other key works are on view in gallery 1600 (object 1943.51.22) and gallery 1740 (objects 1943.52.103 and 1943.52.180) on Level 1.
This installation complements a course taught by Eugene Wang, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Professor of Asian Art. The University Study Gallery supports the coursework of numerous Harvard departments and schools. It is a gallery classroom dedicated to the installation of original works of art that serve as primary source materials for interdisciplinary study.
The installation is made possible in part by funding from the Gurel Student Exhibition Fund and the José Soriano Fund.