Culture of Chinese Classical Han, Roman Republic, and Greek 5th BCE

Culture in Ancient Greece, China, and the Roman Republic

Culture encapsulates various aspects such as art and language that a given community exercises at a particular time in life. There are three well-known cultures that dominated the globe in the annals of the world. Such classical cultures were practiced in ancient Greece, China, and the Roman Republic (Editors, 2018). The paper will strive to elucidate explicitly the cultures that manifested in the Roman Republic, Chinese Han, and Athens based on the art, architecture, music, sculpture, and literature.

Classical Chinese Han

The dynamic Dynasty of Han emerged in the Chinese Republic from 206 BCE to 220 BCE. The era saw a tremendous revival in the art among the Chinese. The facets of significant achievement among the Chinese art were pottery, carving of jade, weaving using silk, and painting. The Chinese porcelain first appeared in the Zhejiang Province by the late Eastern Han dated 100 CE to 200 CE (“Han Dynasty Art: Characteristics, Types”, 2018). The dynasty was established by Gaozu, the emperor.

Han Dynasty Divisions

(a) Period of Western Han (206-9 CE)

The dynasty was headquartered at Changan which is the current Shaanxi Province. The province was second to Rome in term of size and influence in the ancient world.

(b) Period of Eastern Han (25-220 CE)

The capital for the dynasty was based to the east at Luoyang. The place is currently referred to as the current Henan Province. The time marked the most progressive epoch in the history of China. The period was marked by renowned scientific and technological milestones such as the invention of sundials, water clocks, paper development, and the emergence of astronomical instruments (Editors, 2018). The progress was influenced by the philosophies and the ethic as posited by Confucianism.

China regained massive control of the lands that had been conquered previously by Emperor Qing Shijuang. The process encompassed the Northern Vietnam and Southern China pact under the able jurisdiction of Emperor Wudi who ruled from 141 BCE to 86 BCE.

Arts and Culture of Han

Han Dynasty controlled the Chinese Culture’s Golden Age which encapsulated poetry, literature, music, and visual art. The tomb art revival served as the stimulus for the development in the fine and decorative art. The arts advanced greatly during both the Eastern and Western eras of the Han dynasty. The deceased people interred with works and objects of art that they exploited in their lifetime during the Western Han. Artifacts that were exclusively designed to serve burial purposes were placed in the grave during the Eastern Han period. Such artifacts were miniature ceramic art objects such as watchtowers, some examples of urban architecture, miniature pigsties, farms, and farmyard livestock. Han master craftsmen and artists adorned the brick walls that lined underground tombs with mural paintings and carved relief sculpture (“Han Dynasty Art: Characteristics, Types”, 2018). The features and provisions served to aid the deceased in the life after death. The Chinese people believed in life after death and the continuity of life. The engraving and the stamping of motif decorations on the brick and tile surfaces were ubiquitous too. Human figurines placed in the tomb were meant to serve the purpose of the people who provided company to the dead when they were alive (Editors, 2018). For instance, a statue of a female dancer having long silk sleeves was availed in the grave.

Weaving using silk was rampant due to the advanced knowledge in the art. The aspect was depicted through the tomb costumes and banners that consisted of silk. The silk weavers in Han were known with the silk gauze and the plain silk, embroidery, and damask brocade. The pi or bi discs and the small, thin objects that were obtained from jade and metal which had a hole centrally located formed part of the advanced visual art. The hole was symbolic since it was supposed to act as a guide to the spirit of the deceased during its movement to heaven through the Polar Star.

Sculpture and Painting

Sculpture in Bronze reached a climax in terms of sophistication and complexity as evidenced by the sleek horse of bronze obtained in the second century of the Christian era. The materials were recovered from tombs at Kansu located to northwest China. The statues assumed models of men and women. Calligraphy was boosted immensely due to the paper invention in 100 CE. That served as a rich source of inspiration in the fine painting and drawing (Editors, 2018). The resultant art facilitated effective delivery of narrative and communication of emotion. The origani paper folding was thus invented in the era of Han.

Ancient Greek Art

The type of art arose around 450 BC during the regime of Pericles the Athenian General. The figure endeavored to consolidate his powers via the use of public coffers acquired through taxes that allies paid. The artisans built temples other public infrastructure through Pericles’s support. The general wanted to win the Athenian back up while in power through such unorthodox and unprecedented moves.

Classical Greece Architecture

Parthenon temple was one of the prolific products of Pericles’ public campaign in development and it was erected to honor Athena, the Greek goddess. The sculptor, Phidias, and architects, Iktinos and Kallikrates initiated the construction process in the mid-5th Century. The building was established on top of the natural pedestal called Acropolis, marking the earliest Greece settlement. Artisans later constructed another small temple meant for the goddess of victory, Athena Nile, and another for the Greek King, Erechtheus. The temple was rectangular-shaped, a commanding model of Greek architecture. There were front and back porches, rectangular stone platform, and columnar arrows. The temple was supposed to house the statue of the gods while the people worshipped outside unless when they were giving offerings. The temples had common characteristics whereby they had columnar rows and a horizontal supporting entablature and a roof that was triangular in nature. Sculptors could squeeze scenes into the pediments which were situated above the entablature and at each roof end. The pediments depicted Athena’s birth on one edge and the fight between Poseidon and Athena on the other (“Han Dynasty Art: Characteristics, Types”, 2018). The pediment features were brightly painted and were arranged in a blue solid background.

Classical Roman Republic

The territory was started in 750 BCE and the Etruscan Kings administered control over the citizens. Hence the Etruscan art that was represented by metalwork, murals, and sculptures that were found in the tombs. The people portrayed their military triumphs through the pieces of artwork. Much of the art and culture was an imitation and copycat of the Greek art and literature.

Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting

The architecture was derived from the works of Vitruvius whereby they discovered the curved arch and the round temple. Engineers and architects devised techniques for urban building on a large scale after the turn of the century. The Colosseum and the Parthenon are some of the works of Roman art. The great dome of the Florence cathedral is an iconic and a rich historical site. Saint Peter’s Basilica was designed by some of the greatest architects of all time in Rome such as Donato Bramante and Michelangelo. Temples in Rome contained sculptures of the deities in their honor. Roman invented landscape painting which was the greatest discovery.

Work Cited

“Han Dynasty Art: Characteristics, Types”. Visual-Arts-Cork.Com, 2018, http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/east-asian-art/han-dynasty.htm. Accessed 16 Sept 2018.

Editors, History.com. “Ancient Greek Art”. HISTORY, 2018, https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-greek-art. Accessed 16 Sept 2018.