In 771, after the sacking of the capital by nomads, and the shift towards the E of the center of power near Luoyang (Henan), the period of the Eastern Zhou (770-256 BC) usually began, in which it fully manifested itself the political and cultural fragmentation of the territory; for this differentiation, which is reflected in the artistic production of individual states, increasingly freed from central power, it is preferable to follow the division into ‘Springs and Autumns’ (770-476 BC) and ‘Warring States’ (475-221 BC). In the first phase, in which the use of iron was already attested, the techniques of bronze casting, also using that of ‘lost wax’, progressed further; some swords from Changsha (Henan) are made of natural carbon steel. The burials of the various courts offer an unusual pomp, as evidenced by the sumptuous embroidered silks of Mashan (Hubei, 4th-3rd century), the lacquers of Leigudun and Baoshan (Hubei, 5th-4th century), the jade breastplates and the buckles, inlaid in gold, silver and semiprecious stones, together with the increasingly frequent use of agmin in bronzes. The finds from the great southern state of Chu show extraordinary technical results and elaborate color effects, a sign of the creativity and progress achieved, recognizable in the funerary equipment of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, found in 1978 in Leigudun (Hubei, 5th century). In funerary architecture, the discovery, which took place between 1974 and 1978, of the plant engraved in a bronze plate of the funerary complex of Pingshan (Hebei, late 4th century BC) reveals the ostentation of wealth and splendor, as well as the complexity of the structures.
Qin period
According to ANIMALERTS.COM, an epochal turning point took place in 221 BC, when King Zheng of Qin defeated the powerful kingdom of Chu, forcibly unifying China and assuming the title of Qin Shi Huangdi “First August Emperor” of the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). In addition to the architectural development – testified by the archaeological remains of the new capital Xianyang (Shaanxi, NW of Xi’an) – the launch of the strongly imposed cultural, political and social unification operation remains of particular importance.
Its name is now linked to the discovery, which took place in 1974 in the Lintong area east of Xi’an, of the extraordinary Terracotta Army, destined to watch over the eternal rest of the emperor, near the mound on the burial chamber, which has remained untouched. The grandiose complex, covering an area of over 56 km 2, was begun in 246 and was not yet completed when he died in 210. In the vicinity of the mound there are large pits, of which no. 1 is the largest and most famous, inside which the various departments of the army are arranged in parallel rows: hundreds of horses and thousands of characters, already in painted terracotta, each differentiated in some anatomical details or clothing.
Han period
After the rapid dissolution of the Qin, the Han dynasty continued the long process of cultural homogenization.
With the Western Han (206 BC-23 AD) a great territorial expansion took place that will lead in the 1st century. BC to the control of commercial traffic along a very large stretch of the Silk Road; the artistic manifestations linked to the silk medium strongly characterize Han art. An extraordinary example of pictorial technique and document concerning the beliefs about the afterlife in the 2nd century is certainly the silk banner, recovered in 1972 in the tomb of the Marquise of Dai in Mawangdui (Hunan), together with other remains of embroidered and woven silks., artifacts in lacquered and painted wood, bronze mirrors and painted wooden statuettes. The splendor of the life of the court of the Han, whose capital was Chang’an (od. Xi’an), is also witnessed by sumptuous funerary objects with perfume burners, lamps and bronze objects, like those of Prince Liu Sheng and his wife, from the end of the 2nd century, brought to light in 1968 in Mancheng (Hebei); the bodies of the spouses are entirely covered with a shroud of jade tesserae linked together by threads in gold, silver and copper, like the more than 40 high-ranking burials discovered later in other locations. Finally, the large stone statuary includes the imposing, albeit static, specimens dating back to 117 BC, placed near the tumulus of General Huo Qubing near Xi’an, to commemorate the first Chinese victories over the nomadic populations. like the more than 40 high-ranking burials discovered later in other locations. Finally, the large stone statuary includes the imposing, albeit static, specimens dating back to 117 BC, placed near the tumulus of General Huo Qubing near Xi’an, to commemorate the first Chinese victories over the nomadic populations. like the more than 40 high-ranking burials discovered later in other locations. Finally, the large stone statuary includes the imposing, albeit static, specimens dating back to 117 BC, placed near the tumulus of General Huo Qubing near Xi’an, to commemorate the first Chinese victories over the nomadic populations.
