The Ming Dynasty's artworks contributed greatly to the advancement of its culture. The Ming refined the techniques of blue and white porcelain making so well that the term "Ming" is used to describe Chinese pottery made before the twentieth century. [1] New techniques in creating clay made it possible for pottery to have new forms, such as very slim vessels. Many ideas from Islamic works also influenced the forms of the pottery, so shapes such as flasks and jugs were seen in the porcelain. An improved glaze made the pottery much glossier as well. [2] These new ideas were mastered my the craftsmen working in the Jiangxi Province. The porcelain pieces had the mark of the current emperor on it and also sported a dragon, as it was the imperial emblem. [3] The picture on the right has the emperor's mark on the top of the vase, between two heads.
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The rise of the merchant class also allowed many of the middle class Chinese to purchase art, and so the styles of art diversified during the Ming. [5] New landscape paintings were beginning to be made. [6] The themes of these paintings usually were based off of Confucian and Taoist ideas. Artists would blend several ideas from both and because of this, paintings boasted new ideas such as matter-spirit, ideal-natural, and traditional progressive. [7]
- The Ming Dynasty had classes that defined social structure:
- The Shi were the warriors and eventually, the scholars and educated state officials. They had much power since education was not open to everyone.
- The Nong were peasant farmers who were respected for their products for the people of China. They also paid taxes and owned land, which helped the government.
- The Gong were the craftsmen who did not own land, and thus were of slightly lower standing than the Nong.
- The Shang were the merchants and traders who were looked down upon for living off of other people's work. They did rise in power when many merchants grew wealthy and purchased land. [8]
This order did not maintain, however, when the gap between the rich and the poor grew very large. The rural farmers had their resources taken away by people who were desperate for food and shelter. The rich cities erupted from within when the law started to collapse. In the Yangzi delta city of Suzhou (1601), silk weavers rebelled againsts high taxes and uncertain labor prospects. Indentured servants fought for freedom from their masters, and tenants did not pay rent to the landlords who charged unjust amounts of rent. [9]
[1]"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History," Jar [China] (37.191.1), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d., Web, 14 Nov. 2014, <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/37.191.1>.
[2] Roderick Conway Morris, "Ming: The Dynasty Behind the Vases," The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Oct. 2014, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/arts/international/ming-the-dynasty-behind-the-vases.html?_r=0>.
[3] Carol Stepanchuk, "Ming Blue-and-White Porcelain," Regional Business News, EBSCO, May-June 1995, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.hchs.hunter.cuny.edu:2089/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=69cf8509-4964-4bb1-99fc-9f9df6246f33%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4212&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=9506021738>.
[4] Jar, Ming Dynasty, Xuande Mark and Period (1426–1435), 1937, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/37.191.1>.
[5] Guliz Ger, "Art and Consumption in Late Ming China, 1550-1644," Regional Business News, EBSCO, 1 Jan. 1999, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.hchs.hunter.cuny.edu:2089/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=11&sid=69cf8509-4964-4bb1-99fc-9f9df6246f33%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4212>.
[6] Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis, Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers, "Culture Flourishes," World History, Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008, 381, Print.
[7] Ger, "Art and Consumption in Late Ming China, 1550-1644."
[8] "Ming Dynasty Social Structure," Ming Dynasty Social Structure, TheMingDynasty.org, n.d., Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://themingdynasty.org/ming-dynasty-social-structure.html>.
[9] Jonathan D. Spence, "Hard Times and the Fall of China's Ming Dynasty," The Search for Modern China, New York: Norton, 1990, 226, Print.
[2] Roderick Conway Morris, "Ming: The Dynasty Behind the Vases," The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Oct. 2014, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/arts/international/ming-the-dynasty-behind-the-vases.html?_r=0>.
[3] Carol Stepanchuk, "Ming Blue-and-White Porcelain," Regional Business News, EBSCO, May-June 1995, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.hchs.hunter.cuny.edu:2089/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=69cf8509-4964-4bb1-99fc-9f9df6246f33%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4212&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=9506021738>.
[4] Jar, Ming Dynasty, Xuande Mark and Period (1426–1435), 1937, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/37.191.1>.
[5] Guliz Ger, "Art and Consumption in Late Ming China, 1550-1644," Regional Business News, EBSCO, 1 Jan. 1999, Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://www.hchs.hunter.cuny.edu:2089/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=11&sid=69cf8509-4964-4bb1-99fc-9f9df6246f33%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4212>.
[6] Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis, Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers, "Culture Flourishes," World History, Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008, 381, Print.
[7] Ger, "Art and Consumption in Late Ming China, 1550-1644."
[8] "Ming Dynasty Social Structure," Ming Dynasty Social Structure, TheMingDynasty.org, n.d., Web, 16 Nov. 2014, <http://themingdynasty.org/ming-dynasty-social-structure.html>.
[9] Jonathan D. Spence, "Hard Times and the Fall of China's Ming Dynasty," The Search for Modern China, New York: Norton, 1990, 226, Print.