An Overview of Art and Lanaguage During the Ming: Christopher Ma
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Sticking with the Past, Adding the Present:
The Ming Dynasty was a time in art where scholars reverted back to past styles in Chinese history, while also incoporating new Western tastes. Historically, they were heavily influenced by the works from the Song and Tang dynasties. The scholars and artisans used these dynasties' neat and standardized styles to create an aesthetic base. After adding their own unique emphasis on meaning and personailty, the Ming produced artworks that satisified the imperial desires of maintaining past traditions and the people's appreciation for new, innovating pieces of art. Thus, art was an important aspect since it pleased the people at the time and helped historians today with decoding other parts of the dynasty. Calligraphy: One of the more defining parts for both art and language during the Ming Dynasty were calligraphic works. Started in earlier dynasties, calligraphy included the use of ink and a brush to create long rows of symbols in order to represent ideas or phrases. There were thousands of these symbols that the scholars had to remember and copy down onto the paper with precise technique. The effort and skill it took to create such works made the art very popular and admired during the time. In addition, schools such as the Wu, were started to help teach the construction of symbols and different styles for young and aspiring artists. Skilled proffesionals, such as Zhu Yunming and Wen Zhengming, taught lessons and held high places in society for their abilities. Porcelain and Material Works: In addition to their strong works with a brush, the artists of the Ming were very talented with valuable materials. The most notable of their pieces were the blue and white porcelain jars and vases. By heating up clay in temperatures of over 1000 degrees Celcius, glazing it over, and designing it with colored enamels, artists created beautiful, sturdy, and translucent works of pottery. These porcelain potteries became a major export and money maker in the economy at the time, especially for its appeal to the upper classes and merchants. They were so important and beloved mainly due to the idea that they could be so expressive and stylish; on the faces there were often designs showing a family's beliefs and traditions. Other materials, such as jade, ivory, copper, and gold were also used to make different artistic pieces. For example, jade was used to make small figurines and symbolic necklaces, while gold was melted to make other valuable items, including jewlery and instruments for art and music. Overall, these handicraft goods did very well for the Ming Dynasty's economy and historical artistic importance. Writing and Literature: Along with art, the Ming Dynasty also developed Chinese writing and literature into a more complete system. Through schools created and education given by scholars, more people were literate in China. People of all classes and ages enjoyed reading poetry and other tales of past dynasties. This desire for more interesting stories also sparked a chain of famous novels published by well known and talented writers. For example, the book Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en, was a popular creation at that time and even today. Like the other novels published during the Ming Dynasty, it contained valuable lessons hidden in a captivating plot that parents taught their kids so that they could learn to behave. In this way, books became a household item and storytelling became a favorite pastime for parents and children alike. Impact on Today: The Ming Dynasty, although not as widely recognized and admired as dynasties such as the Tang, was a time where art and language were redefined for the better. As a whole, both systems became more complicated in their understanding, but simple in the sense that there was now more education. Pieces that come out of this dynasty, such as the many novels and porcelain vases, are still viewed to this day. Even though not many are aware that these accomplishments occurred in the Ming, their imprints can still be felt on modern day culture. Thus, even though it might not be as golden as the Tang or as sweet as the Song, the Ming Dynasty in itself was a period of prosperity, rejuvination, and influence. FURTHER INFO: Christopher Ma Ming Dynasty Art and Language Essay 8-5 The Ming Dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang in 1368 A.D. and lasting until 1644 A.D., was a period when Chinese culture was redefined and improved. Succeeding the Mongol Dynasty, the Ming prospered under the rule of its first few emperors. In this stretch of economic and political strength, scholars and officials focused more on improving a fragmented Chinese culture, especially the art and language. In this period of time, the Chinese worked to create beautiful pieces reminiscent of past cultural ideals, while also incorporating new imperial desires and foreign tastes. As a result of its ability to find a mix between new and old, the Ming created an unprecedented stylistic and emotional standard for both art and language. Therefore, much of the continued success and recognition of other parts in their society during the Ming Dynasty is influenced by these two important aspects of culture--specifically its works of calligraphy, literature, and porcelain. One of the main reasons for a standardized and stable government during the Ming Dynasty was the importance of calligraphy. Started in cave paintings, the Chinese developed this type of communication into an art form. Using fine techniques with ink and a brush, they painted rows of neat symbols representing ideas or phrases, which, unlike English, have thousands to be memorized. In this way, calligraphic works were very valuable and appreciated during the Ming dynasty; those who mastered this art held a high status in society. People during this time such as Wen Zheng-Ming, for example, were highly admired by the public for a variety of works that included stylistic expression and skill. Calligraphy was so important that the government decided some of its preference for new officials based on their skills with this art form.They held rigorous tests, some of which were centered around calligraphy, in order to assess a candidate’s education. By doing so, the government would be filled with well-educated officials capable of creating and reading important documents with political intentions. Economically, art brought prosperity to the Ming Dynasty through porcelain. Originally invented in earlier Chinese dynasties, porcelain is a ceramic material used to make fine decorations with its strength, hardness, translucency, and resistance to chemicals. Often designed with a natural setting or symbolic animal, porcelain potteries were meaningful and stylish. One example of such a piece was a blue and white jar founded in the period of the emperor Xuande’s reign. Not only did it show one’s values, but also their social status, due to the fact that it was almost exclusive to the upper class. Thus, the wealthy and the merchants had a high demand for them. With demand, also came money flow to merchants and artisans which stayed constant throughout the Ming Dynasty, despite changes in social structure and regulations. So, there was always a high market value for porcelain and large gains for those involved. Porcelain was especially valuable to the economy when there was a flood or natural disaster that destroyed the other crops and materials of China,. By having such immunity to nature and a representation of one’s identity, porcelain became an essential money maker for the Ming Dynasty’s economy. When it came to social values and themes during the Ming Dynasty, literature was a very valuable asset because scholars would use their writings to express religious and moral beliefs to the public. Through witty plots and entertaining characters, they created works of literature that the reader would be both satisfied plot and value wise. For example, iconic novels such as Journey to the West, published by Wu Cheng’en, became popular for their appeal to all ages and inclusion of valuable lessons. A story about Xuanzhang’s quest to bring back Buddhist scriptures from India and his encounters with many legends, it teaches the ways of Buddhism and its teachings, especially what it is to do good. These themes were so well received that they are taught still to this day, now in different forms such as television and cartoons. Thus, the success and impact Journey to the West had on Chinese culture in terms of moral outlook show the importance of literature during the Ming Dynasty; it taught students and commoners to do good. In many ways, art and language impacted and strengthened the political, economical, and social structures during the Ming Dynasty; works of this time period such as literature, porcelain, and calligraphy were key reasons for the continued prosperity during the dynasty. However, they not only brought development to the country, but also everlasting imprints on the history of China. Nowadays, although China has very much become a globalized country, its keeping of tradition has highlighted these various similarities between time periods. Art and language as a whole have been discovered and appreciated more as time goes on. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty, although sometimes recognized more as a transitional period, was a time where culture was greatly transcended into an iconic phenomenon. |