Ming Dynasty: Education and Tradition
During their nine decades of rule, the Mongols of the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) had focused on extracting as much wealth as possible from their Chinese subjects, in the process rejecting or altering many Chinese traditions.
After overthrowing the Yuan in 1368, the first Ming dynasty rulers looked to the traditions of earlier Chinese dynasties, particularly those of the Tang (618–906) and Song (960–1279) dynasties, in efforts to legitimize their rule and to build a system of governance. One clear reflection of this can be seen in court paintings.
Although in the Ming dynasty there was no true art academy at court — as there had been during the Song dynasty — Ming emperors sought artists working in Song styles and themes to decorate their palaces and provide a visual link to the earlier dynasty’s much-admired traditions.
By the beginning of the Ming dynasty, Confucianism had been the dominant Chinese philosophy for more than 1,500 years. Of all the Confucian commentaries, those written during the Song dynasty had the greatest impact on Confucianism’s later practice. Influenced by these commentaries, Confucianism during the Ming dynasty placed its prime emphasis on maintaining proper relationships in society; the relationship between ruler and subject — viewed as analogous to that of father and son — served as the foundation for the education and philosophy of the Ming court. Benevolence, loyalty to state and family, and observance of established rituals were highly prized.
The impact of Confucian teachings can also be seen in the choice of themes for arts patronized by the court and in civil service recruitment and training methods.
Activity
If you were to design a bronze vessel for a friend who has done something important for you, what shape would you make it? How would you decorate it? Would you use designs like the ones on the bronze vessels in the museum? What would you inscribe on it?
Activity
In the spring of 2020, a herd of wild Asian elephants started migrating north from Southwest China. As of June 2021, the elephants have traveled 500 kilometers, navigating through rural areas and cityscapes toward an unknown destination. Scientists believe this unusual migration was spurred by deforestation, urbanization, and habitat loss.
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Create your own paper lantern and retell “The Girl Who Used Her Wits.”
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Activity
Make your own seal script stamp and use it to “sign” a decorated postcard.
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Activity
The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle and each year is linked to an animal. Find your birth year and color in your zodiac animal.
Background Information
Islam has been an important cultural force in much of Asia for more than five hundred years, and in some parts for more than a thousand. Today, far more Muslims live in other parts of Asia than in the Arab areas of Asia such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Background Information
As with art, literature, and philosophy, the Tang dynasty (618-906) nurtured a Golden Age of development and innovation in science and technology that culminated in the Song dynasty (960-1279). The expansive exchange of foreign goods and information during the Tang, together with the high value placed upon close observation and analysis that characterized the Song, set the stage for vigorous scientific innovations. Important advances were made in astronomy, agriculture, industry, medicine, and military technologies.
Lesson
Lesson: Students will 1) understand how Wong was viewed by her community as a rebel in her choice of career and in her artistic style; 2) practice using compare/contrast skills to identify the hallmarks of art from the Qing and Song dynasties, to understand how Wong’s work was initially judged; and 3) hone discussion skills through the use of Project Zero’s Artful Thinking Routines.
