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Ancient Chinese Calligraphy
Calligraphy established itself as the most important ancient Chinese art form alongside painting, first coming to the fore during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). All educated men and some court women were expected to be proficient at...
Definition
Ancient Chinese Art
Ancient China covered a vast and ever-changing geopolitical landscape, and the art it produced over three millennia is, unsurprisingly, just as varied. Still, despite continuous indigenous technical developments, changes in materials and...
Definition
Chinese Writing
Ancient Chinese writing evolved from the practice of divination during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). Some theories suggest that images and markings on pottery shards found at Ban Po Village are evidence of an early writing system but...
Definition
Oracle Bones
Oracle Bones (also known as Dragon's Bones) were the shoulder blades of oxen or plastrons of turtles (the flat underside of the turtle's shell) which were used in the Shang Dynasty of China (c. 1600-1046 BCE) for divination. The symbols carved...
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Li Po's Calligraphy
"Going Up to Sun Terrace", calligraphy scroll by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, the only surviving example of Li Po's own calligraphy, is now housed at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China
Article
Paper in Ancient China
The widespread use of paper and printing were features of ancient China which distinguished it from other ancient cultures. Traditionally, paper was invented in the early 2nd century CE, but there is evidence it was much earlier. As a cheaper...
Collection
History of Chinese Literature
Ancient Chinese literature developed following the evolution of script which evolved from divination practices of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). The pictographs made on oracle bones by diviners became the script known as Jiaguwen (c...
Article
The Dragon in Ancient China
Dragons appear in the mythology of many ancient cultures but nowhere else in the world was the creature quite so revered as in China. There, in marked contrast to other world mythologies, the dragon was almost always seen in a positive light...
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Japanese Calligraphy
An example of Japanese calligraphy. From a scroll with extracts from the 'Tale of the Genji' or Genji Monogatari, written in the 11th century CE by Murasaki Shikibu. Ink on decorated paper. Attributed to Prince Son'en (1298-1356 CE). (Tokyo...
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Calligraphy by Cai Xiang
An example of the calligraphy of Cai Xiang, an 11th century CE Chinese calligrapher. (National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan)