The history of Chinese art presents several unique approaches to portraying things. This paper summarizes articles by Yanyi, Fukang, and analyses Worf’s work. One can argue that Chinese pottery depicts objects that correspond to the beliefs that were prevalent in a specific era, which is why the Chinese ceramics do not appear as living things. Wolf (2016) describes the encounter with the Chinese vessel created in the second millennium BCE and states that it is “a combination of a part of the human body with a body that does not represent a living being, animal or human” (p. 152). The aesthetics of the object that has two feet and yet does not resemble a person is questionable, however, it can be connected to the practices or views regarding the nature of the living objects.
The article Raw materials for making porcelain and the characteristics of porcelain wares in north and south China in ancient times provides a cohesive assessment of the materials, more specifically porcelain, and its composition used in Ancient China. Yanyi (2007) evaluates the pottery and ceramics creating in ancient China. According to the author, the raw materials available to people in the area predetermined the composition of the artwork created there. This is reflected in the differences between the porcelain found in northern and southern parts of the state.
The chapter The origin of high-glazed in China presents interesting implications regarding the use of this material. Fukang (1986) describes the high-fired glazes and their essential contribution to Chinese pottery development. Based on the firing temperature of some pottery and ceramics discovered by archeologists, the author suggests that people living in the Shang dynasty found glaze. Overall, the three articles improve the understanding of the history of ancient Chinese art and the implications of its development.
References
Fukang, Z. (1986). The origin of high-glazed in China. In Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (Ed.), Scientific and technological insight son ancient Chinese pottery and porcelain (pp. 40-46). Beijing, China: Science Press.
Yanyi, G. (2007). Raw materials for making porcelain and the characteristics of porcelain wares in north and south China in ancient times. Archaeometry, 29, 3-19. Web.
Wolf, G. (2016). Image, object, art: Talking to a Chinese jar on two human feet. Representations, 133(1), 152-159. Web.