Category: Introduction to the Histories of Art 2 – G2

Art History Paragraph

 

Introduction + claim:

Funerary art are works of art that accompany one’s burial. They are pervasive in large scales in the past, especially so for people of high statuses who are able to afford them. The type of funerary art varies from culture to culture, depending on their traditions and belief. Some of them are ostentatious, most notably the gold coffin and shrines in the pharaoh’s tomb that are believed to be enjoyed by the dead in the afterlife . Others are monetarily worth less but due to their perceived functions, are equally important to their patrons. Both the Qin emperor’s terracotta army, thousands of larger than life clay statues excavated beside the Qin emperor’s mound, and haniwa, clay models are found in the tumuli of Japanese Emperors, are eminent examples of such funerary art. In my essay, I will be examining the differences between them in order to prove that the Qin emperor’s terracotta warrior is made with a spiritual belief whereas the Haniwa soldier is created as a decorative marker.

First paragraph:

Firstly, both the Qin emperor’s terracotta warrior and Haniwa figurine from a Japanese Emperor’s tomb are made from terracotta clay. In the Chinese soldier’s case, clay was not only chosen because its alternatives were not as feasible for such a large scaled project, but also because of its sturdiness, low cost and ample supply¹. Furthermore, they can be shaped to form the perfect army – ideally fit and taller-than-life – without the “burdens that come with organising groups of armed warriors”² , since it is harder to find and train the warriors in reality. On the other hand, Haniwa figurines are typically miniatures. Their disparity in size also suggests that the Qin emperor’s terracotta warriors are meant to ‘come to life’ in their imposing forms in the afterlife, unlike the Haniwa figurines which would not be as intimidating at their shorter height. Therefore, the formal creation tends towards a spiritual function while the latter is unlikely to be used as so.

¹Diane Bailey, Emperor Qin’s Terra-Cotta Army. (USA, Minnesota: Abdo Publishing, 2014), 59.

²Jane Portal, The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army. (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2007), 143.

Art History Proposal

Introduction:

  • History of tomb burial in China & Japan; Switch from human sacrifice to clay figurines.
  • Claim: Difference between the Japanese Haniwa and Qin Emperor warrior highlights the difference in the beliefs between the two countries.
  1. Compare both in terms of Materials, Creators and Location and Link to the possible Functions of each

2. Visual Analysis of figurines + Production Methods to back up the Functions/ Meaning

3. Use Background Context (Qin banned Buddhism + Japanese people praying to the mount) to back up Belief and hence meaning

 

Conclusion: Difference in Belief -> Difference in Functions -> Difference in Clay Figures

In a nutshell, the dissimilarity between the aspects of both tomb figures speaks much of the cultural difference between the Chinese and Japanese societies of that time.

 

Similarities in terms of
 Creators (ordered by Emperors)
 Locations (Far from Tomb)
 Materials
 Mass production

Differences in terms of
 Depth of details/realism and hence functions
 Mass production methods
 Meanings

 

Bibliography:
Portal, Jane. The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army. Cambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, c2007

“Haniwa Armoured Man”, National Institute for Cultural Heritage. http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/100200/001/010?word=&d_lang=en&s_lang=en&class=&title=&c_e=&region=&era=&cptype=&owner=&pos=97&num=1&mode=detail&century= . Accessed on 9 March 2017.

Lai, Guolong. Terracotta warriors: the first emperor & his legacy. Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum, c2011.

Bailey, Diane. Emperor Qin’s terra-cotta army. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Essential Library, an imprint of Abdo Publishing, 2015.

Wood, Frances. China’s first emperor and his terracotta warriors. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2008.

 

Haniwa Armored Man, Kofun period/6th century, Terracotta, Excavated in Iizuka-machi, Ota City, Gunma Prefecture,
Source: Tokyo National Museum

Infantryman, 221-210 BCE, Terracotta, China
Source: Infantryman, 221-210 BCE, Terracotta, China