44 Art Under the Zhou Dynasty
Learning Objective
- Identify some of the art forms prevelant under the Zhou Dynasty
Key Points
- Work in bronze, including inscriptions, continued and expanded in the Zhou Dynasty.
- Few paintings have survived from this period, but we know that they were representations of the real world.
- The production of lacquerware expanded during this period.
Terms
lacquer
A natural varnish, originating in China or Japan, and extracted from the sap of a sumac tree.
Bronze, Ceramics, and Jade
Chinese script cast onto bronzeware, such as bells and cauldrons, carried over from the Shang Dynasty into the Zhou; it showed continued changes in style over time, and by region. Under the Zhou, expansion of this form of writing continued, with the inclusion of patrons and ancestors.
Other improvements to bronze objects under the Eastern Zhou included greater attention to detail and aesthetics. The casting process itself was improved by a new technique, called the lost wax method of production.
Ceramic and Jade art continued from the Shang Dynasty, and was improved and refined, especially during the Warring States Period.
Paintings
Very few paintings from the Zhou have survived, however written descriptions of the works have remained. Representations of the real world, in the form of paintings of figures, portraits, and historical scenes, were common during the time. This was a new development. Painting was also done on pottery, tomb walls, and on silk.
Lacquerware
Lacquerware was a technique through which objects were decoratively covered by a wood finish and cured to a hard, durable finish. The lacquer itself might also be inlaid or carved. The Zhou continued and developed lacquer work done in the Shang Dynasty. During the Eastern Zhou period, a large quantity of lacquerware began to be produced.