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Western Zhou Ritual Vessel
Bronze ritual vessel, Western Zhou Dynasty, 1100-1000 BCE. Henan Province, China.
The ancient Chinese tradition of preparing ceremonial meals for ancestors dates back to the Shang dynasty (1500-1050 BCE). An inscription inside this bowl records it was made by a man call Mei Situ Yi to commemorate his father who was a Zhou warrior during the overthrow of the Shang Dynasty.
This image was taken at the National Museum of Australia in the British Museum travelling exhibition A History of the World in 100 (and 1) Objects.
Questions & Answers
When do jade artworks first appear in China?
- Jade was first used to create artworks in China c. 6000 BCE during the period of the Houli Culture (c. 6500 - c. 5500 BCE).
When was the Great Wall of China first built?
- The Great Wall of China was first constructed during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) but that wall did not resemble the famous wall known today.
What was the first dynasty of ancient China?
- The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BCE) was the first dynasty of ancient China, thought to be mythical until archaeological evidence supported its existence.
Did the Xia Dynasty develop jade artwork?
- Work in jade was developed by the Hongshan Culture (c. 4700-2900 BCE) and the Liangzu Culture (c. 3400-2250 BCE) long before the Xia Dynasty was established. The Xia simply drew on earlier techniques of work in jade.
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External Links
Famous Chinese Paintings – China Online Museum
comuseum.com
Chinese Painting | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
metmuseum.org
Chinese Jade: British Museum
britishmuseum.org
A Spotlight on Early Chinese Jades | Index Magazine | Harvard Art Museums
harvardartmuseums.org