An Italian contemporary art exhibition at the Grand Tang Mall, an enchanting scenic area in the historic Chinese city of Xi’an, has attracted visitors for the past month.

The touring exhibition, “Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road,” closed on Sunday after 37 days at the Xi’an Art Museum in the scenic area, having welcomed over 60,000 people.

“It is like traditional Chinese culture and modern Western art communicating with each other in the same block, making the exhibition a captivating journey that transcends time and space,” said Zhang Yin, an art enthusiast from Beijing.

What makes the exhibition unique is its tour route. According to its curator, Angela Tecce, the exhibition began in Italy, the end point of the ancient Silk Road. It has toured several countries and regions along the route, including Türkiye and Uzbekistan, and finally landed in China’s Xi’an, the starting point of the Silk Road.

The exhibition’s tour to China can be read as a message of renewal and a fresh beginning, in which art confirms itself as a true facilitator for dialogue, said Pasquale Terracciano, director general for public and cultural diplomacy at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in a preface to the display.

The cultural communication between China and Italy can be traced back to ancient times. In the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD), Chinese envoy Zhang Qian began his journey to the West via Central Asia, and opened up a trade route that later became the Silk Road.

Originally a setting for commercial exchange, it evolved into a crossroads of different cultures. More than 700 years ago, the Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo traveled to China on the ancient Silk Road. Chinese culture had spread to the Italian Peninsula through the trade of silk, tea and porcelain, and Roman architecture and art had also spread to China. In recent years, the Xi’an Art Museum has been working closely with its peers in Italy.

In 2018, it held the exhibition “Beyond the Wall: Xi’an Contemporary Art Exhibition” in Florence, Italy, and it was well-received by locals. Both China and Italy boast long histories. Since visual art needs no translation, the exhibition can serve as a carrier for direct dialogue between classical and contemporary art, and between East and West, said Yang Chao, curator of the Xi’an Art Museum.

A total of 31 art pieces from 33 emerging Italian artists and established masters were on display at the exhibition. The artists utilized a variety of creative methods to manifest Italy’s latest artistic developments, from the 1960s to the present day. Exhibits ranged from paintings and photography to sculpture and installation. One of the artworks, “What holds it all together,” drew many visitors.

Made from porcelain and organic glass, it was inspired by the porcelain from the royal palace of Naples, demonstrating the then-popular artistic genre known as chinoiserie. “The touring exhibition was vital to cultural exchange and the formation of consensus between the peoples of China and Italy in today’s turbulent world,” Yang said.

Porcelain has a long history in China, dating back over 2,000 years. Porcelain was first invented in China during the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). High quality porcelain wares became popular during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) and peaked in the Song (960-1279 CE) and Ming (1368-1644 CE) dynasties. Chinese porcelain was highly prized in overseas trade and inspired many porcelain traditions in Asia and Europe.

The prosperity of porcelain contributed to varied kiln traditions. China was home to many kiln traditions that produced distinct styles of porcelain. Major kilns include Jingdezhen kiln, Ru kiln, Jun kiln, Ge kiln, etc. Porcelains from different kilns vary in glaze color, clay composition, shape and decoration. Certain rare porcelains like Ru ware are considered cultural treasures. Chinese craftsmen developed innovative techniques that allowed porcelain production on a massive scale. Methods include molded relief, stamped or stenciled decoration, copper-red glaze, three-color glaze, etc. These techniques enabled porcelains with complex shapes, patterns and vibrant colors that were advanced for their time.

Chinese porcelains often feature symbolic designs that reflect Chinese cultural values. Common symbols include peonies symbolizing wealth and honor, dragons symbolizing power and fortune, cranes symbolizing longevity, etc. Auspicious patterns are also common, such as the endless knot. Chinese porcelain had a profound influence on other art forms. Its shapes, glazes and patterns inspired paintings, textiles, lacquerware, metalwork, and more. Porcelain also influenced garden and architectural designs. Meanwhile, Chinese artforms like scroll painting and woodblock printing were used to decorate porcelains. This fusion of art forms demonstrates the significant role of porcelain in Chinese material culture.

Speaking of Chinese porcelain, Jingdezhen is a city must be mentioned. Jingdezhen is a city in Jiangxi province, China. It has been known as the “Porcelain Capital” for producing the finest Chinese porcelains for over 1,700 years. Jingdezhen began large-scale porcelain production in the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE). It became the main production center in the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) and reached its peak in the Ming (1368-1644 CE) and Qing (1644-1912 CE) dynasties. Jingdezhen porcelains made up a major portion of Chinese export porcelains.

Jingdezhen produced all the major types of Chinese porcelains – blue and white, famille rose, eggshell, colored glazes, etc. It was known for its high technical quality, innovative glazes and enameling. The styles evolved with the changing tastes in Chinese and overseas markets. Also the imperial workshops in Jingdezhen produced porcelain exclusively for the royal family and court. Imperial porcelains feature the highest quality materials and lavish decorations, representing the best of Jingdezhen’s tradition. They were symbols of status and power.

Besides imperial wares, Jingdezhen also produced porcelains for commercial purposes on a massive scale. These were exported to Asia, the Middle East and Europe through maritime trade. Commercial wares fueled Jingdezhen’s economic growth and prosperity. Porcelain production in Jingdezhen involved many craftsmen with specialized skills – potters, clay preparers, furnace workers, painters, glazers, etc. This division of labor enabled both small-scale artisanal works as well as large-volume commercial production. It was key to Jingdezhen’s dominance in Chinese porcelain manufacturing.

Jingdezhen porcelain had a profound influence on ceramic traditions worldwide. Its artistic paradigms, glazes, shapes and motifs were adopted and adapted in many regions. Meanwhile, Jingdezhen potters also adapted foreign ceramic styles to suit local tastes. This cultural exchange through porcelain trade shaped global material culture. Chinese porcelain gained widespread admiration and collection in other parts of Asia, the Islamic world, and Europe. The Chinese porcelain trade introduced new artistic paradigms that shaped art and craft traditions in various regions. Chinese porcelain remains highly prized by museums and collectors today for its artistic value as well as its importance in cultural exchange.

Chinese porcelain represents the peak of ceramic making and had a defining role in Chinese material culture. With a history of over 2,000 years, superb artistry and worldwide influence, Chinese porcelain deserves its reputation as one of China’s most acclaimed cultural contributions to the world. It provides insights into China’s traditions, values and vision of beauty. 

With a total of 350 craftworks selected nationwide, the exhibition covers a variety of crafts using matericals such as jades, carved wood, ivory and embroidery.

Fan Di’an, director of the museum discusses some of the highlights such as new craft, techniques, material in traditional artistic craft production.

“The exhibition is an assembly of outstanding works of every type of art from artists of national and provincial fame. They suit both professional and public tastes. And it will help visitors to know more about the character of every type of Chinese traditional art. ”

The director said that the exhibition, the first of this kind in the art museum in its 46 years’ history, has been organized to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the foundation of New China.

With long history and splendid variety, Chinese arts and crafts boast practical and aesthetic appeal with a perfect combination of art and technology, boasting the wealth of Chinese culture.

One artwork on the ongoing exhibition in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition of Chinese arts and crafts runs from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10, 2009. [Photo: namoc.org]

One artwork on the ongoing exhibition in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition of Chinese arts and crafts runs from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10, 2009. [Photo: namoc.org]

One artwork on the ongoing exhibition in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition of Chinese arts and crafts runs from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10, 2009. [Photo: namoc.org]

One artwork on the ongoing exhibition in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition of Chinese arts and crafts runs from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10, 2009. [Photo: namoc.org]

The art has evolved with time, and religion, politics, and philosophy have all played an important role in ancient Chinese art. This includes calligraphy, poetry, and painting and these styles had their own characteristics depending on the dynasty.

Without further ado, here are the 10 most popular types of ancient Chinese art:

10. Neolithic Pottery

Life was simple in the Neolithic period, and people in ancient China spent their lives farming and caring for their animals. Art during the Neolithic period has been classified into a mosaic of 22 regional cultures by archeologists. According to archeological findings, art in ancient China began to take shape around 7,500 BC.

The first evidence of pottery in ancient China was seen in 18,000 BC which was ahead of other ancient civilizations and it has evolved with time. Around 4000 BC, colored ceramic art started to appear in China and involved a series of four steps: forming, firing, decorating, and refining.

9. Jade Culture

Jade was more than a stone in ancient China; it was the symbol of perfection, immortality, nobility, and constancy, and the Chinese considered it to be the essence of heaven and earth.

In ancient China heaven was considered to be round and earth was considered to be square. The hole in the center of many jade ornaments, known as pie, was created to honor the gods in heaven. The rectangular side was called tsung and was created to honor the earth.

Evidence of the use of jade was found in the Yangtze River delta during the Liangzhu cultural period (3400 BC–2250 BC). Large pieces of ritual jade such as bi discs, yue axes, and cong cylinders were popular.

This art also featured different animals such as turtles, birds, and fish. The manufacture of jade began to rise during the Shan dynasty (1766 BC–1122 BC) when the Chinese had the technology to efficiently craft every imaginable object from jade.

8. Han Art

During the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), ancient Chinese art reached its peak. The Han dynasty was also known as the golden age for Chinese art, and included music, literature, and poetry as well as the visual arts. The Han dynasty also witnessed the development of tomb art, where art was created exclusively for funerals.

During the Han dynasty, there was also a massive growth in bronze sculpture. Archeologists discovered a bronze horse in the second century BC tombs at Kansu. Miniature bronze statues of social figures were also common, and lamps with glided bronzeware and decorated mirrors were another feature of the Han dynasty.

7. Gu Kaizhi Paintings

Gu Kaizhi was a painter and author of several books on painting which became the inspiration for later Chinese scholar and painters. His art still flourishes today through copies of silk scroll paintings.

He was known for the embellishment of the eyes in portrait painting, and later, his graphics techniques became a central feature of traditional Chinese paintings.

Most of his paintings involved silk and polychrome. Examples of his artwork are the Nymph of the Luo River, Wise and Benevolent Women, and the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies. As well as painting, he was also known for his poetry and calligraphy.

6. Buddhist Architecture and Sculpture

When Buddhism spread to China in 67 AD during the Han dynasty it has a significant effect on the development of art and culture, and during this time many Buddhist scriptures were created.

During the Jin period (265 –420 AD), Buddhist writing emerged and many Buddhist scriptures were translated. The legacy of Buddhism in China has led to one of the most extensive collections of Buddhist art in the world. This can be seen in famous sculptural sites such as the Mogao Caves, the Longmen, and the Bingling Temple.

5. Cloissone

He was known for the embellishment of the eyes in portrait painting, and later, his graphics techniques became a central feature of traditional Chinese paintings.

Most of his paintings involved silk and polychrome. Examples of his artwork are the Nymph of the Luo River, Wise and Benevolent Women, and the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies. As well as painting, he was also known for his poetry and calligraphy.

6. Buddhist Architecture and Sculpture

When Buddhism spread to China in 67 AD during the Han dynasty it has a significant effect on the development of art and culture, and during this time many Buddhist scriptures were created.

During the Jin period (265 –420 AD), Buddhist writing emerged and many Buddhist scriptures were translated. The legacy of Buddhism in China has led to one of the most extensive collections of Buddhist art in the world. This can be seen in famous sculptural sites such as the Mogao Caves, the Longmen, and the Bingling Temple.

5. Cloissone

There were two distinct techniques that were popular in ancient China. In the north, paintings of towering mountains were famous, and they were painted with ink wash, black lines, and sharp, dotted brushstrokes. Popular artists in this style were Guo Xi, Fan Kuan, and Jing Hao. In the south, paintings of rivers and hills were more common. Artists like Dong Yuan, Ju Ran, and others depicted their native countryside with rubbed brushwork.

The beginning of the Tang dynasty was the era of shanshui or “mountain water” paintings. Most of these landscape paintings were monochromatic and sparse which is known as shuimohua. The intention was to depict an emotion or sense of surrounding.
The technique known as “mind landscape” started to evolve during the Yuan dynasty. This was a technique that contained calligraphic brushwork which represented the inner spirit of the artist.

3. Poetry

Poetry in ancient China was an expression of both public and private emotion, and readers were able to understand the inner life of the writer by reading his/her poetry. Classical Chinese poetry includes the three basic elements known as shi, ci, and qu.

During the Han dynasty, yuefu, a style of folk poetry became popular. During the Six Dynasties (220–589 AD), there was a gradual development in poetry.

There are only a few examples of poetry left from ancient China because of a cruel historical event when the emperor Qin Shihuang decided to burning books and kill scholars. Some of the major surviving examples of poetry in ancient China are the Midnight Songs, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, the great Fields and Garden poetry, and the Orchid Pavilion Gathering poems.

2. Chinese Music

The ancient Chinese people brought their music from Africa to China. They clapped hands and sang songs accompanied by hand bone pipes and drums. Ling Lun is considered to have founded Chinese music during the Zhou dynasty. He established a foundation tone from a piece of bamboo pipe that produced the correct sound, a little like birdsong.

During the Qin dynasty (221 BC–7 BC), the first “imperial music bureau” was established and expanded during the reign of Han Wu Di (140 BC–87 BC). The oldest written piece of music from ancient China is Youlan, or Solitary Orchid, by Coufucius. However, despite the popularity of music, musicians were ranked lower than painters.

1. Chinese Silk

Silk was more widespread than art, and it is one of the greatest inventions of ancient China. It was used in a variety of sectors such as fishing, writing, music, and clothing. A good example of silk art can be seen from excavations of the Mawangdui Han tomb.

A silkworm can only produce 1,000 meters of silk in its lifespan of 28 days, and therefore silk was highly prized in China and around the world. It was exported from China using an overland route known as the Silk Road.

Conclusion

Art in China had grown in a phenomenal way, and has adapted and changed along with China’s culture and traditions. Ancient Chinese art is not limited to the above-mentioned list; rather these examples have created a foundation for future artistic accomplishments.