Six Dynasties Art

Author: Lin Shuzhong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The Six Dynasties Art is a key book publishing project under the 15th Five-Year Plan of China and a key book publishing project under the 15th Five-Year Plan of Jiangsu Province. From the coronation of Wu King Sun Quan in 229 AD to the unification of China by the Sui Dynasty in 589 AD, this period saw six dynasties—Sun Wu, Eastern Jin, (Liu) Song, (Xiao) Qi, (Xiao) Liang, and Chen—establish their capitals in Nanjing (known as Jianye during Sun Wu's reign and as Jiankang during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties). Historically, these six dynasties are collectively referred to as the Six Dynasties. The Six Dynasties period was a turbulent and fragmented era in Chinese history. Before the Six Dynasties, China was under the Han Dynasty (Western Han and Eastern Han). During the more than 400 years of Han history, China was largely a unified and prosperous nation. However, starting from the late Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the accumulation of various internal and external social conflicts, the country fell into a long period of over three hundred years of turbulence and fragmentation. Initially, there were peasant uprisings and the division of power by strongmen, which soon led to the Three Kingdoms period of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Sun Wu. Following this was a brief unification under the Western Jin Dynasty (280–316 AD, lasting 37 years). After the Western Jin, China remained in a state of turbulence and fragmentation for a long period: the Northern Dynasties' aristocracy fled south to establish the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which later evolved into the Southern Dynasties of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen. During the Eastern Jin period, large areas of the Yellow River basin in China were successively established as several regimes by different ethnic minorities. During the Southern Dynasties period, the Northern Dynasties also saw several dynasties rise and fall. This book is divided into seven chapters: Painting Art (Part 1 and Part 2), Calligraphy Art, Tomb Art, Religious Art, Music and Dance Art, and Garden Art. It presents the artistic value and achievements of the Six Dynasties period in painting, calligraphy, sculpture, music and dance, and garden art from different perspectives, hoping that readers will join the author in exploring the grandeur of Six Dynasties art and appreciating its unique charm and elegance.