History of Artistic Crafts in Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties

Author: Shang Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The history of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties spans approximately 400 years, with the Tang at its core. This is not only because the Tang Dynasty occupies a central position in time and lasts nearly 300 years. More importantly, from the perspective of arts and crafts, the Tang Dynasty achieved brilliant results with a more profound and lasting influence. The Sui can be seen as the precursor to the early Tang, while the Five Dynasties can be considered a continuation of the late Tang. Therefore, the discussion in this book will center on the Tang Dynasty. The so-called early Tang refers to the early and mid-Tang, while the late Tang refers to the mid-Tang and late Tang. The tumultuous history of the great Tang Dynasty has always attracted attention. To provide a more detailed explanation, historians have commonly divided the Tang Dynasty into the early, mid, late, and late periods. However, how to define these divisions varies depending on the focus of attention and differences in understanding and evaluation. In the early period, it refers to the Sui and the early and mid-Tang, while in the late period, it refers to the mid-Tang, late Tang, and Five Dynasties. Compared to the differences in arts and crafts between the early and late periods, the distinctions between the early Tang and mid-Tang, and the mid-Tang and late Tang are undoubtedly somewhat blurred. However, they can still be identified. Their divisions are based on the start and end of the reigns of the emperors, and mainstream arts and crafts are a material manifestation of feudal politics, with emperors representing feudal politics. Their preferences inevitably influence the direction of arts and crafts. As for the two emperors chosen in this book, both made contributions to arts and crafts. Wu Zhao's ascension to the throne marked the beginning of the mid-Tang. This short-lived emperor, constrained by eunuchs, lacked the dignity of a ruler but aspired to follow the path of emperors. His measures to promote frugality and suppress extravagance, as well as changing the patterns of official robes, somewhat altered the appearance of arts and crafts. Wenzong's accession to the throne marked the beginning of the late Tang. Although this emperor, constrained by eunuchs, lacked the authority of a ruler, he admired the way of emperors. His efforts to promote simplicity and suppress extravagance, as well as changing the patterns of official robes, also had some impact on the state of arts and crafts.