Posts Tagged art
Kite
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Arts & Crafts on July 7, 2009
Kite, also known as Zhiyuan or Fengzheng in Chinese, first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC – 476 BC). However, the first kite was a wooden one made for military purposes.
Gradually, the use of kites changed from military to entertainment. Kites began to be made of paper after the invention of paper and from then on, they became popular among common people. Meanwhile, the popularity also promoted the kites’ development in size, design, decoration, flying skills, etc.
It was said that flying a kite and letting it go would sent off one’s bad luck and illness. Therefore, sometimes, it also acted as a gift sent to friends and relatives.
As time goes by, kite flying has publicized as a sports activity as well as entertainment. The well-known Weifang International Kite Festival held in Weifang city of Shandong Province attracts a large number of participants from home and abroad each April.
Chinese Seals
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Calligraphy on July 1, 2009
Seal has played an important role in Chinese culture for over 3000 years. It was used in lieu of signature to prove the identity on documents, contracts, art, etc.
Carved with Chinese characters, seals can be made of various kinds of materials, including jade, wood, stone, animal tooth, etc. They are used with the combination of red ink or cinnabar paste.
They have been used by people from all walks of life and can be largely divided into three categories, imperial, official and private.
Imperial seals, also called xi or bao, were owned and used for official purpose by the emperors in ancient China. Emperors also had another kind of seals to stamp on the art work, such as painting, calligraphy, etc.
As a token of authority, official seals were conferred to officials to carry on their duties. They were designed small enough to be carried on the official’s belt. According to their positions, the material and the shape of the seals are different.
Private seals are mostly used as signatures in China. Since they were unregulated, they came in a large variety of material, shapes, sizes, and calligraphy.
Chinese Calligraphy
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Calligraphy on April 12, 2009
Calligraphy, which is called Shu Fa in Chinese, is regarded as a sublime art form in Chinese culture. It has a history of nearly two thousand years. During all these days, calligraphy experienced its evolution and development. Up to now, there are several styles of writing: seal, regular, cursive, etc. Each one has its own characteristics and purpose.
When we appreciate the calligraphy, we are not only appreciating the beauty of the art, what’s more, but also communicating with the artists’ spiritual world. Like a thousand people have a thousand different faces, a thousand people will have their own different handwritings.
Let’s appreciate several styles of writing and walk into artists’ spiritual world.
Four Heavenly Kings
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Myths on April 7, 2009
Four Heavenly Kings are commonly seen in the temples of the interior provinces of China. They are regarded as the guardian kings of the four quarters and the guardians of the world. They are usually of fearsome aspect and armed, standing at the entrance to a Buddha Hall. In ancient China, they were among the most respected gods since people wanted to get protection of them.
The Four Heavenly Kings are as follows:
The Eastern World Heavenly King
He is sculptured in white color and always plays a pipa, a 4-stringed Chinese lute.
The Southern World Heavenly King
He is sculptured in blue color with a sword in his hand.
The Western World Heavenly King
With a snake coiling his body, he is sculptured in red color.
The Northern World Heavenly King
He is sculptured in green color, with an umbrella in his right hand.
Feitian：Flying Deva
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Cultural Relics on April 6, 2009
Feitian, which was found in Chinese ancient temples and grottos, is an imagined flying god. This kind of image from Mogao Caves (also known as the Mogao Grottoes or the Caves of A Thousand Buddhas) embodied the flourishing age of Chinese mural.
The countenance of Feitian there looked solemn and revere with pure loving smile on their face. A ribbon fluttering elegantly and beautifully, they displayed a moving scene that a group of girls were flying and dancing freely in the sky.
An artist painted these flying apsaras in his own style. The images are damn charming with the compromise of Chinese and Western styles. Let’s appreciate them together.
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