Search Results: Imperial examinations

The civil service examinations of Imperial China allowed the state to find the best candidates to staff the vast bureaucracy that governed China from the Han Dynasty onwards (206 BCE - 220 CE). The exams were a means for a young male of any...

The Roman imperial cult was the practice of venerating Roman emperors and their families as having divine attributes, honoring their contributions to the spread of Roman religion and culture. It was instituted by the first Roman emperor Augustus...

Unlike the practice of professional numismatists, I prefer to see the “big picture”. So, my entire Roman coin collection, all 250 pieces, from Julius Caesar to Valentinian III is laid out on a single pane of glass in a cabinet, in chronological...

A columbarium is an underground chamber, which the Romans used for preserving the ashes of the dead. During the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, hundreds of columbaria lined the consular highways leading out of Rome, although now only some two dozen...

A series of facial reconstructions of Roman emperors during the Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE), including the Gordian Emperors. These so-called "Barracks emperors" seized power during a time of turmoil, and their reigns were typically...

An examination hall in Suzhou where candidates sat for the civil service examinations which were conducted throughout the history of imperial China. Painted scroll by Xiu Yang, 18th century CE. (Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang, China)

Principles of Confucianism were adopted by successive dynasties and kingdoms in ancient Korea, and the study of classic Confucian texts was an important part of education and entrance examinations for the state administration. Confucianism...

An infographic illustrating the hierarchical structure and divisions within the military land force of the Roman Empire (c. 27 BCE - 480 CE). The Imperial Roman Army was a formidable force, instrumental in the empire's expansion, consolidation...

The inauguration of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg in 1757. Oil on canvas by Valery Jacobi, 1889.

Modern replica of the Russian imperial crown, made as part of the Jewellery project "Creation of Imperial Crown of Russia in modern interpretation" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diamond industry in Russia, using white gold (the...