Art History 370/East Asian 355: Arts of China

Study Sheet #8: The Five Dynasties Period and the Liao Dynasty

Map marking ancient sites, modern cities and provinces

CHRONOLOGY AND HISTORY:

 

The fall of the Tang in 907 led to the division of the empire into unstable regional kingdoms. Among the artistically important regimes were Shu in the west, with its capital at Chengdu, Sichuan; and Southern Tang in the Yangzi delta, with its capital at Nanjing.

During and beyond this period, part of North China was ruled by the Liao (907-1115), non-Han Khitan people who had adopted many elements of Tang culture and were important patrons of Buddhism.

In 960, much of China was reunified under the Song dynasty (see Study Sheet #9), which coexisted uneasily with the Liao. The Liao dynasty was overthrown in 1115 by another non-Han people, the Jurchens, who took the name Jin dynasty (see Study Sheet #9).

ART:

Architecture:

• (Liao) Buddhist wooden temples

Ceramics:

• Liao - revival of three-color glazed pottery, used even for large sculpture
  
  
  
  
• Southern Tang - Yue ware (green-glazed stoneware)

Painting:

• continuation of Tang styles and themes
• appearance of rough or "untrammeled" ink-painting
• beginnings of landscape painting and theory
• development of the hanging scroll format

Artists:

(Shu)

• Guan Xiu (832-912)
  
  
  

(Southern Tang)

• Gu Hongzhong (active 943-960)
  
  
  
  
• Dong Yuan (active 937-975)
  
  
  
  
• Zhao Gan (active 961-975)
  

(northern kingdoms)

• Jing Hao (active 870-930)
  
  

• Li Cheng (919-967)