The Sui and Tang dynasties ruled China from 618-907 CE. This period saw the unification and political power of China, as well as a cosmopolitan culture with foreign contacts. Buddhism flourished, and painting, calligraphy, and sculpture developed significantly. The Longmen Grottoes contained numerous Buddhist carvings and sculptures from this time period. Important tombs like the Qianling Mausoleum and the tombs of Prince Yide and Princess Yongtai featured murals, sculptures, and artifacts that provide insight into Tang culture, politics, and daily life. Painting genres like figure painting and landscapes in the blue-green style became prominent. Calligraphy also developed as an art

1. Sui & Tang Dynasties
618-907 CE

2. Major points about the Tang
• Unification of China, political power
• Cosmopolitan culture, foreign contacts
• Buddhism
• Painting & Calligraphy
– Figure painting
– Landscape
• Blue & Green Style
– Horses
– Calligraphy: expression, individualism and the birth of
the literati class

3. • Overview of grottoes at Longmen

5. • Longmen Main Grotto

10. • Wall panel relief from Longmen, showing
Emperor & court worshipping Buddha

11. • 2006 reenactment of Empress Wu’s
Buddhist rituals at Longmen

12. • Relief showing Empress Wei & her attendants at a ritual

14. • Donors at Longmen

15. • Longmen
Relief
showing
Siddhartha, or
Gautama
Buddha

16. • Qianling mausoleum complex, spirit way

17. • Stone guardian animals on the spirit way

18. • Tomb of Prince Yide, cutaway drawing

19. • From tomb of Prince Yide, scene of court
officials and foreign delegates

20. • Polo match, in the Tomb of Prince Yide

21. • Hunting Scene
from Tomb of
Zhanghuai

22. • Horse rider, from Zhanghaui’s tomb

23. • Polo Player, Zhanghaui’s tomb

24. • A western “Barbarian” and camel

25. • Princess Yongtai’s tomb

26. • Passage into the
tomb

27. • Entrance to Princess Yongtai's tomb
chamber at Qian Long

28. • Mural from Princess Yongtai’s tomb

29. East wall of Yongtai’s tomb

30. • Tomb figurines from Princess Yongtai’s
tomb

31. • Zhou Fang, Ladies Wearing Flowers in
their Hair, 8th
C

36. • Zhou Fang, Tuning the Lute and Drinking
Tea

39. • Ladies preparing newly woven silk, Zhang
Xuan (13th
C copy by Song Emperor Hui
tsung). Full scroll.

40. • Ladies preparing newly woven silk, det.

41. • Night-Shining White, Tang dynasty (618–906),
8th century
Han Gan (Chinese, active 742–56)
Handscroll; ink on paper; 12 1/8 x 13 3/8 in.

46. http://www.chinapage.com/painting/guhongzhong/guhongzhong4.html

47. • Han XiZai Gives a Banquet

53. The Emperor Ming-huang's Journey to Shu (copy) attributed to Li Zhaodao, 8th
c

54. •
• EMPEROR
TAIZONG
ARRIVING AT
JIUCHENG
PALACE. ca. 1500
Ming dynasty
Traditionally
attributed to Li Sixun
, (Chinese, 651 –
718, Tang Dynasty)

55. • Huai-su Autobiography, 618 - 907 AD, 12-
1/4"h x 594-1/2"w. (section detail)
View the whole scroll here:
– http://www.davidnovak.com/paper2000-2001/fullscrol
– Or
– http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~qingchen/treasures/Autob

56. • Yen Chen-ch'ing (709-785): Funeral
Address for Nephew Chi-ming, Tang
dynasty (draft)
– See scrollable view here:
– http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/exhbition/ease0

57. • Det.