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Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 2
Lesson 15: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)- Ming dynasty (1368–1644), an introduction
- An introduction to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Technology during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Spirit path to the tomb of the first Ming Emperor
- Red so rare it was lost to time —a ritual Ming dish
- The Forbidden City
- The Forbidden City
- Wang Lü among the peaks, Ming paintings of Mt. Hua
- The Abduction of Helen Tapestry
- Standing figure of Guanyin as Buddha
- Covered jar with fish in lotus pond
- Classical gardens of Suzhou
- Song of the morning
- Whirling Snow on the River Bank
- Shen Zhou, A Spring Gathering
- Shakyamuni, Laozi, and Confucius
- Congyi, Cloudy Mountains
- Qiu Ying, Journey to Shu
- Copy after Qiu Ying, Playing the Zither Beneath a Pine Tree
- Palace Women and Children Celebrating the New Year
- Eleven Dragons handscroll
- Wang Wen, Poem in cursive script
- Li (tripod)-shaped cloisonné incense burner
- Canteen
- ‘Kraak’ bowl, from Jingdezhen
- Brushrest with Arabic inscription
- Miniature figurines and furniture in a Ming Tomb
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Miniature figurines and furniture in a Ming Tomb
Miniature furniture and figurines from the Tomb of Pan Yongcheng, 16th–17th centuries (Ming dynasty), local beech wood and metal, excavated in Shanghai in 1960 (Shanghai Museum)
Speakers: Dr. Kristen Brennan and Dr. Beth Harris. Created by Smarthistory.
Video transcript
(light piano music) - [Beth] We're in the Shanghai Museum, looking at miniature furniture
found in a Ming tomb. - [Kristen] This was the tomb of an official during the Ming Dynasty and has wooden figurines,
and also furniture from the late 16th and early 17th century. - [Beth] When we go
back in Chinese history and see how emperors and
elites were buried with objects that related to their everyday
life when they were alive with the idea of continuing
that life after their death. - [Kristen] You would wish for that same sort of social status in your life, you would expect that,
and you'd bring everything that you would need to continue your leisurely pursuits in the afterlife. Here, though, we're much later, we're in the Ming Dynasty, so actually, a lot more materials have
survived, wood being one of them. - [Beth] So anything made
of wood that was as ancient, for example, as the
Han Dynasty or earlier, would likely not have survived. Wood decomposes so quickly. - [Kristen] We've got a great insight into what the furniture from this period might have looked like. - [Beth] In addition to dozens of figures. In a procession, some of the
figures carrying a sedan chair for presumably the person
who this tomb was for. But we see a day bed, trunks,
tables, chairs, racks, and everything so carefully
carved, so thoughtfully carved. - [Kristen] There's a difference between even just the two sets of figures. We have wooden figures with hats and robes carrying the sedan
chair, and those contrast with the servants, ready to help with whatever needs the
tomb occupant would have. - [Beth] So, art historians can look at miniature
furniture from this tomb and get a sense of how furniture was made and the design of the furniture itself. - [Kristen] As we look
closely at this, you can see that the Ming aesthetic was
very clean, simple lines, not a lot of ornamentation, but everything fit together
in very geometric patterns, a lot of careful joinery
and little flourishes, just slightly upturned edges,
very elegant aesthetic. - [Beth] So for example,
when we look at the day bed that has the rattan, the
weaving in the center, we look at those legs, we
can see a little flourish, little curve toward the bottom. Or the table that probably
contained a fire for the water and the teapot to be heated,
has lovely, curved legs. - [Kristen] We also see open work when we look to the day bed. We see an intricate carving of the wood as if this was also a larger
piece of furniture or even part of the open worker
lattice on a garden corridor. - [Beth] And minimal
decoration that we see in the Ming dynasty is really a contrast with the style of the
next dynasty, the Qing, which is much more elaborate
and highly decorative. - [Kristen] Looking closely
at some of these features, you can see even the techniques
used in furniture carving and the way that pieces
were joined together. - [Beth] So I see in that
table with the teapot, mortise and tenon, joinery in the wood. We can see the metal clasps
on the sides of the trunk. - [Kristen] We've got the same materials as one would have in life. This concept of the
afterlife and the needs that one would have in
the afterlife changed, but they certainly reflect
the fashions of that time. - [Beth] Not everyone
could have afforded this, but if you could, you'd wanna bring these things into the afterlife. - [Kristen] This is an
important point too, about this Confucian ideal
and this idea of filial piety that the sons of the tomb occupant would provide the best possible
burial for the deceased. At any scale of life, they
would always try and buy the best and provide the
most for their ancestors. - [Beth] And that
Confucian idea of everyone playing their role,
observing funerary rights, and honoring one's ancestors. (light piano music)