The History of Chinese Art in 10 Objects

Through close study of 10 primary monuments in architecture, painting and sculpture, this lecture series explores Chinese art history from the Neolithic to the modern era. Treating antiquities as historical evidence, these lectures examine their materials, makers and meanings. Participants are invited to act as investigators into how art shaped—and was shaped by—one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations.

January 8: Jade Carving and Bronze Casting in Early China
This lecture explores two foundational materials of early Chinese art: jade and bronze. Focusing on a Liangzhu jade cong (ca. 2400 BCE) and a Shang dynasty bronze ding (ca. 1600–1046 BCE), this lecture examines how these objects were made, used and understood. What techniques shaped jade and bronze into abstract and ritual forms? How do their functions—ritual, commemorative, symbolic—reflect evolving social and spiritual systems? And what can their inscriptions reveal about early Chinese beliefs?

January 15: Terracotta Warriors and Buddhist Cave Temples in Early Imperial China
Spanning the Qin and Tang dynasties, this lecture explores two monumental expressions of power and belief: the Terracotta Army (ca. 210 BCE) and the Vairocana Buddha at Longmen (673-675). We will ask why Emperor Qin Shi Huang built such an elaborate mortuary complex, how the figures were made, and what they reveal about imperial authority. Shifting to the Silk Road, we will trace Buddhism’s transmission to China, explore the Dunhuang cave shrines, and introduce the fundamentals of Buddhist iconography.

January 29: Landscape and Court Painting in China’s Golden Age
This lecture examines two masterpieces of Northern Song painting: Guo Xi’s Early Spring (1072) and Emperor Huizong’s Five-Colored Parakeet on a Blossoming Apricot Tree (ca. 1110). It will explore the materials and formats of Chinese painting, the roles of Daoist and Confucian thought in landscape art, and the symbolism of birds and flowers. Special attention will be given to Huizong’s dual role as emperor and artist, revealing the connections between painting, patronage and political authority in the imperial court

February 5: Porcelain and Palaces-Designing Power in Yuan and Ming China
Focusing on the David Vases (1351) and the Forbidden City (1406-1420), this lecture explores how ceramics and architecture shaped imperial identity. It will trace the evolution of blue-and-white porcelain, the use of imported cobalt and the symbolism of the dragon motif. Turning to Ming palace design, the lecture examines how fengshui, cosmology and ritual planning expressed political legitimacy. From kilns to courts, we consider how aesthetics, symbolism and function converged in China's material expressions of power and belief.

February 12: Woodblock Prints and Installation Art-Reinterpreting the Past
This lecture explores the legacy of mass production in Chinese art, from the Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual (1679) to Xu Bing's Background Story (2011). We'll examine woodblock printing techniques, their role in democratizing painting, and the blending of text, image and instruction. Turning to contemporary art, we trace the rise of avant-garde practices in post-Cultural Revolution China, censorship, and how today's artists creatively engage with classical forms to critique, reinterpret and revive the past.