A Trip to the Carnegie

This past Sunday, a group of students from my East Asian Studies course and I visited Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art. The museum is one of many in the area surrounding the city and is less than a ten-minute drive from Chatham. Although we mainly examined Chinese artifacts from antiquity, the building is filled with artwork, sculptures, paintings, and furniture from the United States and around the world. A person can learn so much about the United States and foreign culture just by spending an afternoon at the museum!

We began out visit by examining pottery pieces left behind by the Shang Dynasty. We discovered that many of the markings were geometric in nature, though some illustrations were of mythical creatures. Animals, on the other hand, largely influenced Jin Dynasty creations. They had more details in their craftsmanship and utilized glazing to protect the pottery from water damage.

Geometric Designs of the Shang Dynasty

Jin Dynasty's Animal-Influence 

When the Tang dynasty took control of China, the area experienced an expressive, innovative period similar to the Italian Renaissance. Artists experimented with non-traditional designs, patterns, colors, and textures. Guardians were depicted in sculptural form to protect residences and other significant places.

Innovative Colors & Shapes of Tang Dynasty

Once European powers began to infiltrate Asia, they were largely inspired by Chinese art. They began manufacturing pieces that appeared similar to their impressions of East Asia. Vases, for example, were depicted with scenes from Asian culture, whether or not they were actually accurate.

By living so close to China geographically, Taiwanese students may have a better grasp of these concepts. If you are reading this post as a student at Tunghai University, what is your opinion about the topics discussed here? Was our class accurate in our assessment?

Make it count,
RMS