Ming Dynasty Chinese Art
1368-1644 AD
After the Mongols were thrown out of China, and the Chinese emperors took over again in the Ming Dynasty, sculpture stopped changing in style - Ming dynasty sculptors just repeated what had been done in the past.
A Ming Dynasty painting of the emperor's palace
On the other hand, Ming Dynasty paintings of birds and flowers and people are among the best detail paintings.
 |
 |
And Ming Dynasty pottery is famous for its excellence.
 |
|
| In this period, also, Chinese lacquer became much more creative and beautiful. |
|
To find out more about Ming Dynasty art, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
The British Museum Book of Chinese Art, by Jessica Rawson and others (1996). Rawson is a curator at the British Museum, and she uses the collection of the British Museum to illustrate this book. Library Journal calls it "easily the best introductory overview of Chinese art to appear in years".
Art in China (Oxford History of Art Series), by Craig Clunas (1997). Not specifically for kids, but a good introduction to the spirit of Chinese art. Warning: this one is not arranged in chronological order. Instead, it has chapters on sculpture, calligraphy, and so on.
More on China in the Ming Dynasty
