Editing Chinese art (section)

=== Early imperial China (221 BCE – 220 CE) ===

==== Qin art ====
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| image1   = Qin Terracotta Attendant (grey background).jpg
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| image2   = Qin Terracotta Acrobat (9897907493).jpg
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| footer=A ''[[Terracotta Army]]'' attendant, and one of the ''[[The Acrobats|Acrobats]]''. These were meant to guard the [[Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor]], 210 BCE
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The [[Terracotta Army]], inside the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, consists of more than 7,000 life-size tomb [[terracotta]] figures of warriors and horses buried with the self-proclaimed first [[Emperor of China]] [[Qin Shi Huang]] in 210–209 BC. The figures were painted before being placed into the vault. The original colors were visible when the pieces were first unearthed. However, exposure to air caused the pigments to fade, so today the unearthed figures appear terracotta in color. The figures are in several poses including standing infantry and kneeling archers, as well as charioteers with horses. Each figure's head appears to be unique, showing a variety of facial features and expressions as well as hair styles. The spectacular realism displayed by the sculptures is an evidence of the advancement of art during the Qin dynasty.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Art history|last=Stokstad|first=Marilyn|author2=Cothren, Michael Watt|isbn=978-0-13-447588-2|edition= Sixth|location=Upper Saddle River|publisher=Pearson |oclc=953927607|date = 2018}}</ref> It is without precedent in the historical record of art in East Asia.<ref name="The First Emperor and sculpture in"/><ref name="NL"/>

A music instrument called Qin zither was developed during the Qin dynasty.
The aesthetic components have always been as important as the functional parts on a musical instrument in Chinese history. The Qin zither has seven strings. Although Qin zither can sometimes remind people of corruptive history times, it is often considered as a delivery of peace and harmony.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kouwenhoven|first=Frank|date=2001|title=Meaning and Structure: The Case of Chinese Qin (Zither) Music|journal=British Journal of Ethnomusicology|volume=10|issue=1|pages=39–62|doi=10.1080/09681220108567309|jstor=3060771|s2cid=191483792}}</ref>

==== Han art ====

[[File:Western Han Terracotta Army of Yangjiawan 10.jpg|thumb|300px|Western Han miniature pottery infantry and cavalry from [[Yangjiawan terracotta army|Yangjiawan]]. After the Qin period, funeral figurines were much smaller, on average {{convert|60|cm|in|sp=us}} in height. Similar armies were found in [[Han Yang Ling]], the tomb complex of [[Emperor Jing of Han]] (''r''. 157 – 141&nbsp;BCE) and his wife [[Empress Wang Zhi]] (d. 126 BCE), with over 40,000 miniature pottery figures.<ref>Paludan, Ann. (1998). Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors: the Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial China. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., pp 34–36, {{ISBN|0-500-05090-2}}.</ref>]]During the Qin dynasty, Chinese font, measurement systems, currency were all standardized in order to bring further unification.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Tsao|first=Ruby|date=Jan–Mar 2017|title=The Great Wall Of China|journal=Chinese American Forum|volume=32|pages=34–37|via=Academic Search Complete}}</ref> [[Great Wall of China|The Great Wall of China]] was expanded as a defensive construction against the northern intruders.<ref name=":1" /> 
The [[Han dynasty]] was known for [[jade burial suit]]s. One of the earliest known depictions of a landscape in Chinese art comes from a pair of hollow-tile door panels from a Western Han dynasty tomb near [[Zhengzhou]], dated 60 BCE.<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 plate">Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China'': Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 3: Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Plate CCCXII</ref> A scene of continuous depth recession is conveyed by the zigzag of lines representing roads and garden walls, giving the impression that one is looking down from the top of a hill.<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 plate"/> This artistic landscape scene was made by the repeated impression of standard stamps on the clay while it was still soft and not yet fired.<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 plate"/> However, the oldest known landscape art scene tradition in the classical sense of painting is a work by [[Zhan Ziqian]] of the [[Sui dynasty]] (581–618).

Other than jade artifacts, bronze is another favorite medium for artists since it is hard and durable. Bronze mirrors have been mass-produced in the Han dynasty (206 BCE{{snd}}220 CE), and almost every tomb excavated that has been dated as Han dynasty has mirror in the burial.<ref name=":0" /> The reflective side is usually made by a composition of bronze, copper, tin, and lead.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Wang|first=Yuejin|date=September 1994|title=Mirror, Death, and Rhetoric: Reading Late Han Chinese Bronze Artifacts|journal=Art Bulletin|volume=LXXVI|issue=3|pages=511–534|doi=10.1080/00043079.1994.10786601}}</ref> The word "mirror" means "to reflect" or "to look into" in Chinese, so bronze mirrors have been used as a trope for reflecting the reality.<ref name=":0" /> The ancient Chinese believe that mirror can act as a representation of the reality, which could make them more aware of the current situation; also, mirrors are used as a media to convey or present a reflection of the past events.<ref name=":0" /> The bronze mirrors made in the Han dynasty always have complex decorations on their non-reflective side; some of them consist narratives that tell stories.<ref name=":0" /> The narratives themselves always reflect the common but essential theories to the Han people's lives.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Högerl|first1=Johann|last2=Tensi|first2=Hans M.|last3=Schulten|first3=Caroline|date=1996-05-01|title=Analyzing the metallurgical and cultural backgrounds of two Han-dynasty bronze-mirror fragments|journal=JOM|language=en|volume=48|issue=5|pages=57–59|doi=10.1007/BF03222946|bibcode=1996JOM....48e..57S|s2cid=138946370|issn=1543-1851}}</ref>

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">

File:Green glazed pottery dog Eastern Han 25CE 220CE.jpg|Glazed pottery dog, with collar patterned onto the surface; Eastern Han, 1st century CE.
File:Lidded Cosmetic Box (Lian) with Scrolling Clouds and Supernatural Creatures LACMA AC1997.50.1.1-.2.jpg|Han dynasty lacquerwares were famed for their intricate and elegant designs.
File:Lacquer Wine-Cup Container.jpg|Set of lacquered wine cups, with a typical pre-imperial design.
File:Mawangdui Lacquer 2.jpg|Cooler and ladle, Mawangdui
File:Woven silk, Western Han Dynasty.jpg|sericulture and silk embroidery reached a new high in the prosperous years of the Han
File:Mawangdui Han Second Coffin from Tomb -1 (10113243533).jpg|Abstract yet intricate patterns were found on coffins of lady [[Xin Zhui]] (217 BC–168 BC)
File:Mawangdui Han Third Coffin from Tomb -1 (10112971305).jpg
File:Mawangdui Han Third Coffin from Tomb -1 (10113109063).jpg|Delicate motifs relating to the afterlife are depicted around the meandering clouds on this inner coffin.

File:Elite Family with Entertainers (10112546006).jpg|Banqueting figurines from [[Mawangdui]], 2nd century BCE
File:Mawangdui Figures of Musicians (10112575404).jpg|Musicians playing [[guzheng]] and [[Sheng (instrument)|sheng]], 2nd century BCE
File:Mawangdui silk banner from tomb no1.jpg|Silk funerary banner, 2nd century BCE
File:Beijing.China printing museum.Han dynasty.pattern printing.jpg|Translucent silk was reserved for the highest of nobility as it was very difficult to produce.

File:China qing blue.JPG|Painted pottery pot with dragon and phoenix relief, as well as [[taotie]] designs for the lug handles.
File:Si shen yun qi Painting form Liu Fa tomb.jpg|Flying dragon from the Liu Fa tomb, Western Han
File:Guardians of Day and Night, Han Dynasty.jpg|These figures represent [[Chinese zodiac|guardian spirits of certain hours of the day]]- the left figure represents the first hour (midnight).
File:Eastern han husband and wife banquet mural BM2 Zhucun Luoyang 洛阳朱村东汉墓BM2夫妇宴饮图.jpg|Han couple banquet together, from [[Luoyang]] c. 220 CE
File:China.Terracotta statues007.jpg|A female servant and a male advisor in Han [[shenyi]], terracotta figurines from Western Han.

File:Bronze Chimera, Eastern Han Dynasty.jpg|Bronze statuette of a [[qilin]], 1st century AD 
File:Jade Drinking Vessel at Nanyue King Museum.jpg|Jade drinking vessel from Nannie, 1st century BCE
File:Confucius, fresco from a Western Han tomb of Dongping County, Shandong province, China.jpg|Western Han tomb fresco depicting the philosopher [[Confucius]]; 202 BCE{{snd}}9 CE; from [[Dongping County]], Shandong
File:Gentlemen in conversation, Eastern Han Dynasty.jpg|Two gentlemen engrossed in conversation while two others look on, a painting on a ceramic tile from a tomb near [[Luoyang]], Henan, dated to the [[Eastern Han dynasty]] (25–220 AD)
File:CMOC Treasures of Ancient China exhibit - pictorial brick depicting a courtyard scene.jpg|pictorial brick depicting a courtyard, 2nd century BCE
File:Gold Seal with Dragon Knob 01.jpg|Seals such as this one symbolised the authority of the kings and emperors of the Han.
File:Eastern Han Dynasty tomb fresco of chariots, horses, and men, Luoyang 2.jpg|A section of an [[Eastern Han]] (25–220 AD) fresco of 9 chariots, 50 horses, and over 70 men, from a tomb in [[Luoyang]], China
File:Gansu Museum 2007 257.jpg|[[Flying Horse of Gansu]]. 
File:Dahuting mural, Eastern Han Dynasty.jpg|Mural of the Dahuting Tomb ({{zhi|t=打虎亭漢墓 |p=Dáhǔtíng hàn mù}}) of the late Eastern Han, located in [[Zhengzhou]]
File:七层连阁绘彩陶楼1394.jpg|Miniature model of a residential block. Recovered from a burial site.
File:Han pottery manor 02.jpg|A vast number of miniature models allows us an insight into the architectural styles of the day.
File:Boucle Han Chine Guimet 2910.jpg|A golden belt buckle with dragon motif, Western Han

File:Dahuting tomb mural showing hanfu dress, Eastern Han Dynasty.jpg|Mural of the Dahuting Tomb ({{zhi|t=打虎亭漢墓 |p=Dáhǔtíng hàn mù}}) of the late Eastern Han, located in Zhengzhou, Henan
File:Woman with a mirror, China, unearthed at Songjialin, Pixian, Sichuan, Eastern Han dynasty, 25-220 AD, ceramic - Sichuan Provincial Museum - Chengdu, China - DSC04768.jpg|An Eastern Han [[Chinese ceramics|ceramic figurine]] of a seated woman with a [[bronze mirror]], unearthed from a tomb of Songjialin, [[Pi County]], Sichuan
File:Silk from Mawangdui.jpg|Heaves of silk with all sorts of intricate designs were found at Mawangdui.
</gallery>

[[File:Dahuting tomb banquet scene, Eastern Han mural.jpg|thumb|center|Mural depicting a banquet at Dahuting|600px]]

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====First monumental stone sculptures (117 BCE)====
[[File:Tomb of Huo Qubing. Horse and head of trampled Xiongnu warrior.jpg|thumb|250px|The monumental stone sculpture of a horse trampling a Xiongnu warrior (with detail of the warrior's head) at [[Huo Qubing]]'s Mausoleum, 117 BCE]]
Terracotta statuettes had been known for a long time in China, but there are no known examples of monumental stone statuary before the stone sculptures at the Mausoleum of [[Huo Qubing]] (140–117 BCE), a general of Emperor [[Han Wudi]] who went to the western regions to fight the [[Xiongnu]].<ref name="Duan48">{{Cite journal |author-link= Duan Qingbo | last=Qingbo |first=Duan |date=2022 |title=Sino-Western Cultural Exchange as Seen through the Archaeology of the First Emperor's Necropolis |journal=Journal of Chinese History 中國歷史學刊 |volume=7 |language=en |pages=48–50 |doi=10.1017/jch.2022.25 |s2cid=251690411 |issn=2059-1632 |doi-access=free |quote=Before the appearance of the large-scale stone sculptures in front of the tomb of Huo Qubing 霍去病 (d. 117 BCE) of the middle Western Han period (see Figure 9), no monumental works of sculptural stone art like this had ever been seen in Qin culture or in those of the other Warring States polities.}}</ref> In literary sources, there is only a single 3rd–4th century CE record of a possible earlier example: two alleged monumental stone statues of ''[[qilin]]'' (Chinese unicorns) said have been set up on top of the tomb of the First Emperor [[Qin Shihuang]].<ref>{{Cite journal |author-link= Duan Qingbo | last=Qingbo |first=Duan |date=2022 |title=Sino-Western Cultural Exchange as Seen through the Archaeology of the First Emperor's Necropolis |journal=Journal of Chinese History 中國歷史學刊 |volume=7 |language=en |pages=48–50 |doi=10.1017/jch.2022.25 |s2cid=251690411 |issn=2059-1632 |doi-access=free}} quoting the anonymous 3rd century CE "''[[Xijing Zaji|Miscellaneous Notes on the Western Capital]]''"  (西京雜記): "There were two stone statues of qilin [Chinese unicorns]. The flanks of each animal bore carved inscriptions. These once stood atop the tomb mound of the First Emperor of Qin. Their heads stood one zhang and three chi in height [approx. three meters]"</ref> The most famous of Huo Qubing's statues is that of [[:File:Tomb of Huo Qubing. Horse trampling a Xiongnu warrior.jpg|a horse trampling a Xiongnu warrior]].<ref name="Duan48"/>

The Mausoleum of Huo Qubing (located in [[Maoling]], the Mausoleum of Han Wudi) has 15 more stone sculptures. These are less naturalistic than the "Horse trampling a Xiongnu", and tend to follow the natural shape of the stone, with details of the figures only emerging in high-relief.<ref>{{Cite journal |author-link= Duan Qingbo | last=Qingbo |first=Duan |date=2022 |title=Sino-Western Cultural Exchange as Seen through the Archaeology of the First Emperor's Necropolis |journal=Journal of Chinese History 中國歷史學刊 |volume=7 |language=en |pages=48–50 |doi=10.1017/jch.2022.25 |s2cid=251690411 |issn=2059-1632 |doi-access=free |quote=The sixteen large stone sculptures in front of the tomb of the Han general Huo Qubing 霍去病 (ca. 117 BCE), are mostly sculpted following the form of the original stone (see Figure 9). They employ techniques such as sculpting in the round, raised relief, and engraved intaglio lines to carve stone sculptures of oxen, horses, pigs, tigers, sheep, a fantastic beast eating a sheep, a man fighting a bear, a horse trampling a Xiongnu warrior, and other images. It is hard to find any evidence in China for this type of crude but concise lifelike rendering before these monuments.}}</ref> Following these early attempts, the usage of monumental stone statues would only develop from the end of the Western Han to the Eastern Han.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=徐 |first1=龙国 |title=山东发现的汉代大型胡人石雕像再研究 |journal=美术研究 (Art Research) |date=2017 |url=http://www.kaogu.cn/uploads/soft/2017/20170912xulongguo.pdf |quote=近年来，考古发现的一些西汉墓葬，如陕西咸阳西汉阳陵、河南商丘梁孝王陵园、[32] 江苏盱眙江都王刘非陵园、江西南昌海昏侯刘贺墓园等，都发现墓葬周围有冢茔、庙寝、门阙、司马道等，此时墓上石刻还没有发展起来，除汉武帝时期的霍去病墓、张骞墓外，其他墓葬均未发现墓上石刻。西汉晚期至东汉时期，墓上石刻逐渐发展起来}}</ref>

Monumental stone statuary would become a major art form from the 4–6th centuries CE with the onset of monumental [[Buddhist sculpture]] in China.<ref>{{cite web |author-link=Duan Qingbo |last1=Qingbo |first1=Duan |title=Persian and Greek Participation in the making of China's First Empire (Video timing: 45:00–47:00) |date=April 9, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ASy32tcsYbk&ab_channel=ChinaOnscreen |publisher=Video of 2018 conference at UCLA |language=en}}</ref>
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<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="4">
File:霍去病墓石雕伏虎 - panoramio.jpg|Crouching tiger, Huo Qubing Mausoleum
File:Han Stone Sculpture- Horse Ready to Leap.jpg|Horse Ready to Leap, Huo Qubing Mausoleum
File:Stone Sculpture of Boar.jpg|Crouching boar. Huo Qubing Mausoleum 
</gallery>