Tag Archives: historical period

Charles C. KOLB A pictorial brick of the Southern Dynasties unearthed in Dengxian County of Henan province. It depicts the story about the crown prince of King Wuling of Zhou blowing a flute to attract phoenixes before becoming a Taoist … Continue reading →

Charles C. KOLB Statue at the Yellow River Visitor’s Center depicting the legendary Yu, the first ruler of the Xia Dynasty. Yu earned his title through his merit as a civil servant; he was esteemed by his people for eliminating … Continue reading →

Charles C. KOLB Two Horsemen, a silk scroll painted for the Khitan nobility by an anonymous artist. The Khitan were a Mongolian people who continued some of the Tang dynasty’s artistic traditions. Pictured here is a Khitan nobleman mounted on … Continue reading →

Unryu SUGANUMA The Sixteen Kingdoms was a violent era during the third and early fourth centuries CE when five tribes alternated with each other in establishing brief kingdoms in northern China. The Sixteen Kingdoms was the time (304–439 CE) when … Continue reading →

Elizabeth ENDICOTT Gateway called Kuo-chieh-t’a (“Tower which Bestrides the Road,” also known as the “Cloud Terrace”), in Hebei Province. Inscribed with date corresponding to 1345, during the Yuan dynasty. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN. In the late thirteenth century the … Continue reading →

Constance A. COOK A bronze vessel from the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou were noted for the sophistication of their bronze-casting technique and design, and often rewarded their subjects with gifts of sacrificial vessels. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN. The Zhou … Continue reading →

JIANG Yonglin Woman dressed in Qing dynasty style, in Changde. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN. The Qing dynasty, founded in 1644 by the Manchus, was the final imperial dynasty to rule China. The last emperor abdicated in 1912 following the … Continue reading →

JIANG Yonglin Detail of the painting Emperor Taizong Receiving Tibetan Envoy by Yan Liben. Ink and color on silk. The Tibetan envoy is second from the left. Emperor Tang Taizong is surrounded by female attendants. THE PALACE MUSEUM, BEIJING. The … Continue reading →

Paul D. BUELL Detail of a scroll from the Jurchen Jin dynasty, titled Admonitions of the Instructress to the Palace Ladies, by Gu Kaizhi (c. 344–406). Royal children are groomed by their nannies as their parents look on indulgently. COLLECTION … Continue reading →

Dallas L. McCURLEY The Terracotta Army at Xi’an, built for the tomb of the first Qin emperor Shi Huangdi (also known as Shi Huang). PHOTO BY PAUL AND BERNICE NOLL. Although the Qin dynasty lasted for a scant fifteen years … Continue reading →