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