General info
Painters
Caligraphy

Activities...

Gallery
Games
Lesson Plan
Quiz

Extra...

Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

has pictures of buddhist cave paintings with lots of information

National Palace Museum

a very well done site with many galleries. This museum is located in Taiwan and holds thousands of artifacts.

Asian Art Connections
Utilizes Flash to showcase select artifacts from many Asian countries

Knowledge about the Tang dynasty comes from tombs discovered from that period. Great masters such as Wu Daozi and Yang Huizhi made the Tang dynasty famous for its exceptional figure painting and clay sculptures. The flowering of the arts during the Tang dynasty, especially during High Tang, was evident in painting, calligraphy, and poetry. High Tang, which lasted between mid 7th to mid 8th century, was the time in which China possessed the most power and attained the most prosperity and assimilated foreign techniques and ideas. Foreign countries were eager to establish trade relations with China, which was fostered by the Silk Route.

Tomb figures of the Tang period were realistic and natural looking, given a sense of life by the skill of the potters. Common tomb figures depicted foreigners and animals such as horses and ox. Art found in these tombs portray everyday life in the diverse Tang dynasty. Less rigidity in figurines and more individuality displayed by the sculptors set them apart from previous dynasties.

Gold and silver vessels were made by hand using a variety of techniques such as hammering a design from the inside of the vessel or gilding. Floral and animal motifs were often found on vessels. Many techniques using gold and silver also flourished during the Tang dynasty mainly due to foreign relations with the Middle East.

Pottery reached its zenith in the 10th century especially due to the development of pure porcelain by heating kaolin (a fine white clay) at extremely high temperatures. The earliest porcelain artifact has been found in a Tang tomb dating back to 661 A.D. Ceramic objects gained popularity and slowly replaced lacquer objects found in tombs. Ceramic sculptors painted their figurines with green, brown, and yellow, which were known as the "three-colors."

The Buddhist religion reached its peak during the Tang dynasty and stimulated the art world and became a major influence as many extraordinary pieces prove this to be true. One such piece is the Vairocana Buddha (pic) of Fengxiansi at Longmen created in 672 A.D. upon the request of Empress Wu. It is an open temple with Vairocana Buddha, two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, and two guardians. Most sculptors were anonymous. Yang Huizhi of the 8th century earned fame from his Buddhist clay figures. Whether it was made from rock or metal, Tang Buddhist figures had a style of its own where round faces, thick lips, bow shaped eyebrows, and almond shaped eyes were dominant features. They were often decorated with brilliant colors and elaborate designs.

Did you know...
The most valuable stone in ancient times was jade; it was thought to possess magic and was thus associated with immortality.