The Sixteen Luohans, Shitao (Zhu Ruoji)

Landscapes after old masters, Wang Hui

 HAN DYNASTY
• Under the Han, developments in paper led to a
boom in writing and calligraphy got an official
artistic status.

• Paradoxically, valuable clues about our current

knowledge of the Han has not been revealed
through written documents, but through
funerary artwork. Nothing remained of the
architecture from the Han Dynasty: no cities, nor
palaces.
HAN JADE BURIAL SUIT
 CALLIGRAPHY
established itself
as the most
important
ancient Chinese
art form
alongside
painting, first
coming to the
fore during the
Han dynasty (206
BCE - 220 CE).
TANG PORCELAIN
TANG METALWORK
• During the Tang Dynasty both figure painting
and landscape painting reached great heights
of maturity and beauty.
Zhou Fang's “Palace Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses
Tang Ladies Pounding Silk, Zhang Xuan
• The Ming Dynasty is considered, in hindsight, the golden era in the
development of the style of ancient Chinese furniture.
An equally distinguished Ming art - garden design - was renowned for the beauty
of its gardens and was a stupendous addition to the cultural legacy of the period
that they influenced all subsequent garden design.
MING PORCELAIN
The city of Pingyao, an ancient fortified settlement in central Shanxi, is famed for
its well-preserved Ming urban planning and architecture. It is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since 1995.
TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
Forbidden City—domain of the emperor and his court for nearly 500 years
This 15th-century tempera on silk painting depicts the many palaces, pavilions, and courtyards
of the Forbidden City.
TERRACOTA FIGURES, c. 2500
Copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha Kashmir
Indus Valley pottery sculptures
KERALA MURAL PAINTING
• Generally made as
miniatures either as
book illustrations or as
single works, MUGHAL
PAINTING evolved from
the Persian school of
miniature painting with
Hindu, Buddhist and
Jain influences. The
paintings often revolved
around themes like
battles, legendary
stories, hunting scenes,
wildlife, royal life,
mythology, etc.
Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance, 7th-
8th century, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
ELEPHANTA’S CAVE OF SHIVA
Shore Temple, Mamallapuram, showing Dravidian roof structure and outer enclosure walls
with gateway
Rock-cut stupa with figural Buddha, chaitya-hall Cave 10, c. mid-7th century, Ellora
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE

The 238 foot tall Qutb minar in the background, c. 1192, Qutb archaeological complex, Delhi
Example of Maru-Gurjara architecture. Stone dome with lotus motif in
the entrance corridor looking towards the eastern wall, Friday mosque
of Khambayat (also known as Cambay), 14th century, India
The ruins of Vijaynagara empire, the Achyutaraya temple ruins, 16th century
Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamil Naidu, India
Sé Cathedral, Old Goa, India; right: the Church of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, India
STUPA 3, 1ST C., SANCHI, INDIA