Art in Etiquette (Wu Hong's Ancient Chinese Art History Anthology )

Author: Wu Hung, edited by Zheng Yan et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This book selects and translates 31 papers published by Professor Wu Hung since 1985. These papers revolve around the fundamental concept of "ritual art" and discuss various artistic traditions and forms in ancient and medieval Chinese art, including prehistoric to Three Dynasties pottery, jade, and bronze ritual vessels, tomb art from the Eastern Zhou onwards, the emergence and early development of Buddhist and Daoist art. These papers extensively utilize archaeological and documentary evidence to broaden and deepen the scope of art history research. The author combines anthropological and sociological theories and methodologies to explore the composition of various visual forms—such as architecture, sculpture, reliefs, and artifacts—and their organic connection to human behavior and thought. The analysis no longer focuses on isolated objects and images but includes the reconstruction of visual environments, as well as examinations of the creative motivations, social contexts, ritual functions, and audience responses of artworks. The discussions often proceed on two levels: in addition to examining specific historical issues, they also reflect on the relevant academic history and research methodologies. A significant number of papers explore ancient Chinese art from the perspective of comparative cultural history, highlighting the importance of its unique materiality and visual traditions in rethinking the narrative structure of Chinese art history. In Western academia, these articles have had a significant impact on recent research on ancient Chinese art. This book is the first systematic introduction to Professor Wu Hung's academic achievements in China. It is divided into four parts: Prehistoric to Pre-Qin Art, Han Art, Medieval Buddhist and Daoist Art, and the Evolution of Ancient Art. An interview transcript and a list of paper sources are included at the end. The book is illustrated with over 600 images, including photographs, rubbings, line drawings, and maps of ancient artworks.