Animals in Chinese Art
Animals in Chinese Art
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Anonymous, Earthenware figures depicting the animals of the zodiac, ca. early 8th century, Tang Dynasty, From the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Throughout human history, our relationship to nature and the Earth has always been very important. This is especially pronounced in our relationship to animals of which there are billions of different species. Throughout the millennia of human history, from the very beginning to the stone and bronze ages to now, people have continually invented and reinvented their own interpretations and significances for animals. Whether mythical or scientific the breadth and variety of the various meanings given to different animals show just how influential and important they were. While many different cultures have lent varying magnitudes of importance to different animals, this exhibit aims to explore how the people across the history of China from the prehistoric to the dynasties understood these animals and incorporated them into their culture.
Because we wanted to highlight the diversity of the depictions of animals, we opted to curate a diverse collection spanning many different mediums. Hand scrolls, sculptures, ritual bronzes, jade pieces, and many more, all sit adjacent to one another. We also selected subthemes that would span a great range of subjects to showcase the elasticity that animal symbolism is able to display. While some are able to serve as guides to the afterlife in a religious context, in another they may represent the virility and power of mankind and in yet another, they may represent beauty or femininity. Animals in Chinese Art features 36 works of art, depicting the many facets of animals from across the history of China and its art.
Explore the Exhibition
Religion
Religion
Religion has always been a universal constant of human civilization and its presence in the history of China shows that it is no exception. This has been reflected through history via the artwork that has been produced and dedicated to the various religions that have appeared throughout the millennia. From the advent of early organized religions to the balanced motifs of Daoism and the search for enlightenment via Buddhism, animals have remained a constant in terms of religious imagery. For this subtheme, we opted to explore a wide variety of religious perspectives in order to highlight the versatility of animal imagery in artwork.
Kingship
Kingship
It is no secret that China has had an extensive dynastic history, spanning century and even millennia. Owing to the high status and means of the emperor(s) of each respective dynasty, it was only natural that their position would be depicted in artworks, often in the form of an animal. From the fierce power of the horse to the majesty and breadth of the dragon, animals have remained an important signifier of kingship among man.
Festivities
Festivities
In western culture, New Years is celebrated from the last day of December to the first day of January, into the next year. However a festivity, called Lunar New Year, is celebrated from late January to February following the Lunar calendar. China has a plethora of other festivals and celebrations, with a long and storied history. Many of these festivals originated from thousands of years ago and are still celebrated or performed to this day. Sometimes specific animals are associated with certain festivals such as bunnies in the Mid-Autumn Festival or lions and dragons during the Lunar New Year. Each animal's symbolism provides an insight as to the reasoning behind the performance or festivity.
Power
Power
Power is yet another constant source of desire throughout all of human civilization and its long history. Throughout the dynastic history of China, warfare has not been uncommon as there are always people seeking to subjugate and control others. This inclination towards control is often immortalized in the form of artwork that compares people to their animal equivalents whether that be the agility of a horse or the nobility of a lion. For this subtheme, we chose to focus on the inherent relationship between man and nature as well as the relationship between man and himself, often represented via the medium of animal imagery.
The Zodiac
The Zodiac
A Chinese myth that is well known even outside of its own culture are the 12 Chinese Zodiacs. These animals include: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. There is a story accompanied with these animals that determined the ordering in which they appear called the "Heavenly Gate Race". Each animal is assigned a year, and Chinese people believe that the animal that a person was born under has a determination for their personality, relationships, and future. This year is currently the year of the Dragon.
Stories
Stories
Oral tradition and storytelling are an essential part of the history for any group of people, being the primary source of communication before the advent of the written word. China of course has a rich wealth of stories and folklore, often serving as inspiration for and being incorporated into its artwork. Of course all stories take inspiration from the real world and in many cases, that inspiration came in the form of animals and their representative qualities. For this subtheme, we chose to focus on some of the more famous figures, both human and animal, in storytelling. From Sun Wukong to the Chang'e and her rabbit, we wanted to highlight the value and purpose that stories play in the lives of the every-day.
Symbolic
Symbolic
In Chinese culture, animals in beliefs were gave different meaning. The Azure dragon, the white tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Tourtise are respectively endowed with the symbols of the east, the west, the northwest, the change of the four seasons, and the elements such as wood, earth, fire, and water, The word symbolic emphasizes the meaning, cultural value and symbolism carried by the four gods as symbols.
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