Chinese Jade ornament with flower design, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD), Shanghai Museum. Jade is an Ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different Silicate minerals. This is an article for the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234 For other Chinese dynasties whose names are also rendered "Jin" in Pinyin, see Jin Dynasty The Shanghai Museum ( Chinese: 上海博物館 is a Museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District

Chinese art (Chinese: 中國藝術/中国艺术) has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and changing technology. Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era The following is a Chronology of the dynasties in Chinese history. Different forms of art have been influenced by great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders. Chinese art encompasses fine arts, folk arts and performance arts. Fine art is any Art form developed primarily for Aesthetics rather than Utility. Folk art describes a wide range of objects that reflect the Craft traditions and traditional social values of various social groups This article is about Performance art For other uses see Performance (disambiguation

History

A statue of a Bodhisattva from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Green Hills and White Clouds, by Gao Kogong, 1270-1310 AD.

Chinese variety art, also known in the west as "Chinese circus"

Main article: History of Chinese art

Early forms of art in China were made from pottery and jade in the Neolithic period, to which was added bronze in the Shang Dynasty. Chinese Variety Art (Chinese 雜技藝術 is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of Acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles Chinese art is Art that whether ancient or modern originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware Jade is an Ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different Silicate minerals. The Shang Dynasty ( Chinese: 商[[wiktionary 朝|朝]] or Yin Dynasty ( 殷[[wiktionary 代|代]] was according to traditional sources the The Shang are most remembered for their blue casting, noted for its clarity of detail. Early Chinese music and poetry was influenced by the Book of Song, Confucius and the Chinese poet and statesman Qu Yuan. The Book of Song ( also called "The History of the Song" is a historical text of the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties of Confucius ( lit " Master Kung " September 28, 551 BC - 479 BC) was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher Biography Qu Yuan born in the Xiling Gorge area of what is today western Hubei province was a minister in the government of the state of Chu descended from nobility Early Chinese music was based on percussion instruments, which later gave away to string and reed instruments. The Music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artefacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as Chinese furniture began its development around 2002 AD, generally made of softwood or bamboo. China is one of the longest standing major civilizations in the world today

In early imperial China, porcelain was introduced and was refined to the point that in English the word china has become synonymous with high-quality porcelain. Chinese ceramic ware is an Artform that has been developing since the dynastic periods. Around the 1st century AD, Buddhism arrived in China, though it did not become popular until the 4th century. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices At this point, Chinese Buddhist art began to flourish, a process which continued through the 20th century. It was during the period of Imperial China that calligraphy and painting became highly appreciated arts in court circles, with a great deal of work done on silk until well after the invention of paper. Calligraphy (from Greek kallos "beauty" + graphẽ "writing" is the art of writing (Mediavilla 1996 17

Buddhist architecture and sculpture thrived in the Sui and Tang dynasty. The Sui Dynasty ( 581 - 618 AD and in the undertaking of other construction projects including the reconstruction of the Great Wall. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Of which, the Tang Dynasty was particularly open to foreign influence. Buddhist sculpture returned to a classical form, inspired by Indian art of the Gupta period. The vast scope of the art of India intertwines with the cultural history religions and philosophies which place art production and patronage in social and cultural contexts The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C Towards the late Tang dynasty, all foreign religions were outlawed to support Taoism. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions

In the Song Dynasty, poetry was marked by a lyric poetry known as Ci (詞) which expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Ci ( interchangeable with 辭 is a kind of lyric Chinese poetry. Also in the Song dynasty, paintings of more subtle expression of landscapes appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain contours which conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. It was during this period that in painting, emphasis was placed on spiritual rather than emotional elements, as in the previous period. Kunqu, the oldest extant form of Chinese opera developed during the Song Dynasty in Kunshan, near present-day Shanghai. Kunqu ( 崑[[wiktionary 曲|曲]] Pinyin: Kūnqǔ Wade-Giles: k'un-ch'ü also known as Kunju, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera Kunshan ( is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region that is administratively at the county-level in southeast Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million In the Yuan dynasty, painting by the Chinese painter Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫) greatly influenced later Chinese landscape painting, and the Yuan dynasty opera became a variant of Chinese opera which continues today as Cantonese opera. The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Zhao Mengfu ( 1254–1322 Courtesy name Ziang (子昂 Pseudonyms Songxue (松雪 "Pine Snow" Oubo (鸥波 "Gull Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China 's Cantonese culture.

Late imperial China was marked by two specific dynasties: Ming and Qing. Of Ming Dynasty poetry, Gao Qi was acknowledged as the most unpopular poet of the era. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Gao Qi (高启 1336 &ndash 1374style name Ji Di 季迪 pseudonym Qinqiuzhi 青丘子 is generally acknowledged as the greatest poet of the Artwork in the Ming dynasty perfected color painting and color printing, with a wider color range and busier compositions than Song paintings. In the Qing dynasty, Beijing opera was introduced; it is considered the one of the best-known forms of Chinese opera. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Qing poetry was marked by a poet named Yuan Mei whose poetry has been described as having "unusually clear and elegant language" and who stressed the importance of personal feeling and technical perfection. Yuan Mei (袁枚 Pinyin: Yuán Méi 1716 – 1797 was a well-known poet scholar and artist of the Qing Dynasty. Under efforts of masters from the Shanghai School during the late Qing Dynasty, traditional Chinese art reached another climax and continued to the present in forms of the "Chinese painting" (guohua, 國畫). Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world The Shanghai School challenged and broke the literati tradition of Chinese art, while also paying technical homage to the ancient masters and improving on existing traditional techniques.

New forms of Chinese art was heavily influenced by the New Culture Movement, which adopted Western techniques, introduced oil painting and employed socialist realism. The New Culture Movement ( refers to the period between 1917 and 1923 in China, which was marked by student and intellectual ferment and protests against the warlord government Socialist realism is a teleologically -oriented style of realistic art which has as its purpose the furtherance of the goals of Socialism and Communism The Cultural Revolution would shape Chinese art in the 20th century like no other event in history with the Four Olds destruction campaign. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China was a struggle for power within the Communist Party of China that manifested into The Four Olds or the Four Old Things ( were Old Customs Old Culture Old Habits and Old Ideas Contemporary Chinese artists continue to produce a wide range of experimental works, multimedia installations, and performance "happenings" which have become very popular in the international art market.

Today, the market of Chinese art is widely reported to be among the hottest and fastest-growing in the world, attracting buyers all over the world. ^[1][2][3] The Voice of America reported in 2006 that Modern Chinese art is raking in record prices both internationally and in domestic markets, some experts even fearing the market might be overheating. ^[4] The Economist reported that Chinese art has become the latest darling in the world market according to the record sales from Sotheby's and Christie's, the biggest fine-art auction houses. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts Auction house ^[5] The International Herald Tribune reported that Chinese porcelains were fought over in the art market as "if there was no tomorrow". Porcelain is a Ceramic material made by heating raw materials generally including Clay in the form of Kaolin, in a Kiln to temperatures ^[6] A 14th century porcelain vase was easily sold by the Christie's with a staggering £15. Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts Auction house 68 million. ^[7][8] In terms of buying-market, China recently overtook France becoming the world's third-largest art market, after the United States and the United Kingdom, due to the growing middle-class in the country. ^[9][10] Sotheby's noted that Contemporary Chinese art has rapidly changed the Contemporary Asian art world into one of the most dynamic sectors on the international art market. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 ^[11]

Types

A Thousand Peaks and Myriad Ravines by Wang Hui, 1693. Wang Hui ( 1632 - 1717 was a Chinese landscape painter the best known of the Four Wangs.

Chinese dragon sculpture

Traditional style Chinese concert performance in China

Emperor Xuanzong's Journey to Sichuan, a Ming Dynasty painting after Qiu Ying (1494-1552). The Chinese Dragon or Oriental dragon is a mythical creature in East Asian culture with a Chinese origin Traditional Chinese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string wind and percussion instruments The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Qiu Ying (仇英 Pinyin: Qiú Yīng Wade-Giles Ch'iu Ying) (1494 - 1552 was a Chinese painter who specialized in the

See also

• Culture of China
• Culture of Hong Kong
• Longmen Grottoes
• Four Olds
• Eastern art history

References

Further reading

• Lee Yuan-Yuan and Shen, Sinyan. Chinese folk art are artistic forms inherited from a regional or ethnic scene in China. Papercutting is the art of cutting Paper designs The art has evolved uniquely all over the world to adopt to different cultural styles Chinese Paper Cutting or Jianzhi (Chinese 剪纸 jiǎn zhǐ is the first type of Papercutting design since Paper was invented by Cai Lun The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Chinese Paper Folding or Zhezhi ( is the Art of Paper folding that originated in China. Puppetry is a form of Theatre or Performance which involves the Manipulation of Puppets. Glove puppetry ( POJ: pò͘-tē-hì) also known as budai mu'ouxi, shoucao kuileixi, shoudai kuileixi, chang-chung hsi ( Pinyin Shadow play (Chinese 皮影戏 pi ying xi or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of Storytelling and Entertainment using opaque often articulated figures The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Handicraft, also known as craftwork or simply Craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or using only simple tools Chinese knotting ( is a decorative handicraft arts that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD in China The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Chinese literature extends back thousands of years from the earliest recorded dynastic court Archives to the mature fictional Novel that arose during the Ming Dynasty Chinese classic texts or Chinese canonical texts ( refer to the pre- Qin Chinese texts especially the Confucian Four Books and Five Classics The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC Chinese Poetry is the most highly regarded literary genre in China. The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC Chinese Historiography refers to the study of methods and assumptions made in studying Chinese history. The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC Chinese dictionaries date back over two millennia to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which is a significantly longer Lexicographical history than any other language The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. The visual arts are art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily Visual in nature such as Painting, Photography Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware Chinese ceramic ware is an Artform that has been developing since the dynastic periods. This is an alphabetical list of Paleolithic sites or cultures in China: Bailiangdong Baojiyan Bose Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world During the Ming Dynasty, Chinese painting developed greatly from the achievements in painted art during the earlier Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led During the Tang Dynasty, as Chinese civilization reached its peak Chinese painting developed dramatically both in subject matter and technique Ink and wash painting is an East Asian type of Brush painting also known as wash painting or by its Japanese name sumi-e (墨絵 Shan Shui ( lit "mountain-water" refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves the painting of Scenery or natural landscapes with The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The art of Calligraphy is widely practiced and revered in the East Asian Civilizations that use or used Chinese characters. Oracle bone script ( refers to incised (or rarely brush-written ancient Chinese characters found on Oracle bones which are animal bones or turtle shells used in The Shang Dynasty ( Chinese: 商[[wiktionary 朝|朝]] or Yin Dynasty ( 殷[[wiktionary 代|代]] was according to traditional sources the Cursive script ( simplified草书 erroneously translated as Grass script is a style of Chinese calligraphy. Comics (via Latin from the Greek "" kōmikos, of or pertaining to "comedy" from kōmos "revel" Lianhuanhua ( Chinese: 连环画 ( Simplified) 連環畫 ( Traditional) Pinyin: Liánhuánhuà or 連環圖 is a palm-size Manhua ( are Chinese Comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Chinese animation ( are Animations from China, including the regions Mainland China, and Hong Kong. The Music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artefacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as Traditional Chinese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string wind and percussion instruments The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. Yayue ( Chinese: 雅樂, literally "elegant music" is a form of Chinese classical music that was performed at imperial The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. Guoyue ( 国[[wikt 乐|乐]] literally "national music" is a modernized form of Chinese traditional music written or adapted for some form of grand presentation C-pop () is an abbreviation for " Chinese Popular music ". The performing arts are those forms of Art which differ from the Plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own Body, Face and presence Chinese Variety Art (Chinese 雜技藝術 is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of Acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles Chinese Opera ( Chinese: 戏曲/戲曲 Pinyin: xìqǔ is a popular form of Drama and Musical theatre in China with roots going back Beijing opera or Peking opera ( is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music vocal performance mime dance and acrobatics Kunqu ( 崑[[wiktionary 曲|曲]] Pinyin: Kūnqǔ Wade-Giles: k'un-ch'ü also known as Kunju, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China 's Cantonese culture. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Xiangsheng ( sometimes translated as crosstalk, is a traditional Chinese comedic performance in the form of a Dialogue or much less often Shuochang ( literally "speak and sing" is a form of traditional Chinese Storytelling (or more properly "story-singing" with many Quyi ( Simplified: 曲艺 Traditional: 曲藝 Pinyin: qǔyì is a Chinese performance art consisted of narrative storytelling using staged monologues Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Dragon dance ( is a form of traditional Dance and performance in Chinese culture. Lion dance ( is a form of traditional Dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Landscape architecture involves the investigation and designed response to the landscape Chinese architecture refers to a style of Architecture that has taken shape in Asia over the centuries Gardening is the practice of growing Plants for their attractive flowers or foliage and Vegetables or Fruits for consumption The Chinese (Scholar's Garden is a place for solitary or social contemplation of nature The Humble Administrator's Garden (or Zhuozheng Yuan) ( located at 178 Dongbei Street Suzhou, is one of four great Chinese gardens At 51950 m² Bonsai (盆栽 literally "potted plant" is the art of Aesthetic miniaturization of Trees by growing them in containers Penjing ( also known as penzai ( tray landscape, potted scenery, potted landscape, and miniature trees and rockery is the The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history The Culture of Hong Kong can best be described as a foundation that began with China, and then leaned West for much of the 20th century under constructive The Longmen Grottoes ( ch 龍門石窟/ 龙门石窟 lóngmén shíkū lit The Four Olds or the Four Old Things ( were Old Customs Old Culture Old Habits and Old Ideas Eastern art history is devoted to the arts of the Far East and includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions The Economic Times, launched in 1961 is India's largest financial daily and the world's second largest financial daily after The Wall Street Journal, Chinese Musical Instruments (Chinese Music Monograph Series). 1999. Chinese Music Society of North America Press. ISBN 1-880464039
• Shen, Sinyan. China: A Journey into Its Musical Art (Chinese Music Monograph Series). 2001. Chinese Music Society of North America Press. ISBN 1-880464071
• Shen, Sinyan. Chinese Music in the 20th Century (Chinese Music Monograph Series). 2001. Chinese Music Society of North America Press. ISBN 1-880464047
• Watson, W. , The Arts of China to AD 1900 (Yale University Press, 1995).

External links

• Chinese Sumi-e by Artist Sheng Kuan Chung
• Chinese Landscape Paintings (pictures)
• The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Masterpieces of 20th-century Chinese painting
• 88 mocca - The Museum of Chinese Contemporary Art on the web
• ShangART Gallery Shanghai
• The Saatchi Gallery
• Gallery of China Traditional Chinese Art
• Chinese Contemporary Art
• Chinese Paper Cut Art
• Portraits paintings - Picture