After more than half a year, the king finally gave up his legs this time and went to see the exhibition, and the first stop was of course the proudest national museum. Therefore, starting from this issue, Gallery Marking officially returns and continues to share the essence of art and history.
This time we start from the depths of history, along the vein of time, through ancient China, witness the beginning of civilization, and carefully look at the wisdom and philosophy of this oriental masterpiece. Countless long-standing, ground-breaking "dreams" not only unveil the veil of antiquity, but also converge into the "Ancient China Exhibition" exhibited at the National Expo.
Taking dynastic changes as the main context, the "Ancient China Exhibition" divides the past history into eight parts: ancient period, Xia Shang And Western Zhou period, Spring and Autumn Warring States period, Qin and Han period, Three Kingdoms and Two Jin Dynasties period, Sui and Tang Five Dynasties period, Liao Song, Xia Jinyuan period and Ming and Qing Dynasty, respectively, from the political, economic, cultural, social life, foreign exchanges and other aspects of the development of ancient China in different periods.
When we look down in the spotlight and look at these artifacts that have traveled through the ages, it is like traveling through time and space. This period begins in the "ancient period", starting from ancient stone tools, gathering and hunting, and walking together in China's ancient and brilliant history!
As we all know, the ancient period is divided into two stages: paleolithic and Neolithic. Paleolithic humans used a variety of crude, natural tools, engaged in gathering, hunting and other activities, and slowly completed the evolution from Homo erectus to late Homo sapiens. In the Neolithic Age, human beings not only learned to sharpen weapons and make pottery, but also invented agriculture and animal husbandry, forming a characteristic culture based on regional characteristics. In the late Neolithic period, under the differentiation of social classes, the initial elite class and ceremonial system were formed, and gradually transitioned to the early state.
The early Paleolithic period refers to about 2 million years ago to more than 200,000 years ago, when humans were called Homo erectus, and although they had basic human characteristics, the head still retained more primitive characteristics, walked upright, and made some simple tools. This exhibition features several representative fossils of early human skulls, as well as simple tools used.
Hunting was a regular activity for early humans, burying a large number of fossils of herbivores and a small number of carnivores in caves that had been found to be inhabited by early humans. Among them, the number of swollen bone deer and Greco's spotted deer is the largest. The painter Li Rongshan also drew ecological restoration maps in the form of acrylic acid based on the fossils of saber-toothed tigers and swollen deer.
▲ Stone hammer, stone anvil, stone chips at both ends, scraper, chopper
Early Paleolithic
(About 2 million years to 200,000 years ago)
▲Saber-toothed tiger skull and upper canine teeth (replica)
▲Saber-toothed tiger ecological restoration map
acrylic acid
Drawn by Li Rongshan
▲Swollen bone deer antlers and mandibles, Gurdjieff spotted deer head, antlers and mandibles
▲Ecological restoration map of swollen bone deer
▲ Liujiang man skull, Ma Yan man skull, Jinniu Shan man skull
Middle Paleolithic
It is worth mentioning that human beings in the late Paleolithic era already had certain funerary customs, and stone tools and other ornaments have become burial items for cave people on the top of the mountain. This stage is also in the embryonic stage of the development of human primitive beliefs and art.
▲Perforated animal teeth, ornamental antlers, perforated mussel ornaments, hematite, carved bone tubes (replicas)
Late Paleolithic
(About 30,000 years ago)
▲Schematic diagram of the cave man wearing a necklace at the top of the mountain
China is arguably one of the first regions in the world to invent pottery. Neolithic pottery production gradually developed from the simple clay strip plate pottery method to the fast wheel pottery method, and the pottery was painted with exquisite ornamentation. Among them, eagle-shaped pottery and paisley four series of faience pots belong to the fine works of this period.
▲The intention of making pottery
▲Eagle-shaped pottery
Yangshao culture (c. 5000–3000 BC)
This eagle-shaped pottery is known as the "most cute national treasure" because of its cute shape. At the same time, it is also one of the most outstanding works of the original pottery process.
The "eagle-shaped pottery" adopts the shape of an eagle standing still, with a strong eagle body, thick legs, wings close to the sides of the body, and a slight drooping tail, forming three relatively stable fulcrums with the eagle legs. In addition to this, it has rounded eyes and a hook-like strong beak. Dingkou is cleverly designed between the back and the wings, and the entire shape design structure is concise and imposing. It can be said that this "eagle-shaped pottery ding" is a clever integration of the characteristics of the utensils and animal images.
▲Face fish color pottery pot
This mermaid-patterned faience pot seen in the exhibition hall belongs to the treasures of Neolithic pottery. The lines in the faience pottery are simple and flexible, and the combination of the human face and the fish has the meaning of deification and worship. It is said that such totems were drawn for the blessing of babies who died prematurely. In general, the geometric patterns on yangshao culture clay pots are mostly evolved from the shapes of flowers, birds and fish, and have a certain sense of rhythm. This can be slowly grasped in the unfolded ornamental diagram.
▲Small-mouth pointed bottom pottery vase
▲Dance pattern faience pot
Majiayao culture (c. 3200 BC – 2000 BC)
▲Deer pattern faience pot
Yangshao culture (c. 5000 BC – 2900 BC)
▲Yangshao culture faience pottery flower and leaf ornamentation unfolded
▲Schematic diagram of the evolution of the fish pattern of Yangshao culture
▲The tomb of the "Dragon Tiger" of Mussel Su
Yangshao culture (c. 5000 BC – 3000 BC)
▲Women's Burying Goods
The exhibition also provides a detailed introduction to the Neolithic ceremonial system and the elite. As a result of the intensification of social class differentiation, the late Neolithic era had formed a ceremonial system with specific meanings, as well as large public buildings with specific uses attached. In addition, hierarchical differentiation is also reflected in tombs with a serious gap between rich and poor. For example, the jade dragon, which often appears in history books. It is not only a representative work of jade in the Neolithic Hongshan culture, but also symbolizes the rights and identity of the tomb owner, and also marks the formation of a class of magnates above the public group.
▲ Jade Dragon
Red Hill Culture
This jade dragon has a long and handsome crown, slender eyes and sharp kisses, and its body is abstracted into a curled body hook, carved from dark green Xiuyan jade, and the image is beautiful and vivid.
In fact, there has been a lot of controversy about the origin of the formation of ancient dragons. Among the many references and historical records, the description of the dragon in the Shang Dynasty oracle bones is one of the more prominent: the dragon is a giant, horned, large-mouthed, curved divine beast. These descriptions are reflected in the Red Mountain Jade Dragon.
Several other symbolic funerary objects are also exhibited in the exhibition, including exquisitely fired pottery and crock pots.
▲Faience back pot
Dawenkou culture (c. 4200 BC – 2500 BC)
▲Family burial tombs with burial items
▲Yubi
Liangzhu culture (c. 3300 BC – 2200 BC)
▲ Yu Chun
▲Thin tire black pottery high handle cup
Yongsan culture (c. 2500 BC – 2000 BC)
Finally, I would like to introduce you to a landmark artifact of Longshan culture, which is this thin-tire black pottery high-handled cup. The whole body of the pottery cup is made of fast wheel pottery, the wall is uniform, as thin as an eggshell, and the thinnest place is only 0.2-0.3 mm, so it is also known as "eggshell pottery". Its production process can be said to have reached the peak of ancient Chinese pottery technology. Of course, it also marks a status symbol.
This issue of the Ancient China Exhibition will be introduced to you here! The next issue will continue to introduce the political, economic and cultural features formed during the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou dynasties.
Eye Edge Art Chronicles Chapter 660 is dedicated to the artistic gift of life.
Image source: Network
Text Writing: Eye Edge Art Zhi
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