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hst137

Bronze and Labor from the Shang Dynasty

I focused on the additional reading about the bronze material used as inscription. In an excerpt from Lothar Ledderose’s Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art, during the Shang era, the technique of casting bronze was unique, complicated, and counterintuitive. Unlike the rest of the world, China created designs by utilizing negative space formed from clay molds, into which the bronze was cast. High artistic and technical skill was required by the artisans of the Shang dynasty. This unusual technique favored the development of a social system, the division of labor. The compartmentalized feature of Chinese bronze casting with many smaller steps supports standardization and coordination with other laborers. I think this division of labor can also be considered in the creation of the Great Wall: many people are involved, and each person has his own designated job to help bring the wall to completion.

Ritual wine vessel, approx. 1300–1050 from Shang dynasty (1600–1050 B.C.E.). China; Henan province. Courtesy of the Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection.

Similar to last week’s passages, the readings from this week show how the culture of the time period is displayed through the creations of the people. I anticipate this motif to be carried throughout the semester.

Bibliographic References

Hansen, Valerie. “Chapter 1: The Beginnings of the Written Record”. In The Open Empire: A History of China to 1800, 18-55. Seconded. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Keightley, David. “Chapter 1: The Oracle Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty”. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1: From Earliest Times to 1600, edited by W. deBary et al. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1999.

Horowitz, Joshua. “Literacy in Ancient China”. In People and Their Stuff: A History of China in Objects Now Preserved in North America. URL: http://scalar.tdh.bergbuilds.domains/hst137/chapter-1-the-shang-dynasty

Ledderose, Lothar. “Casting Bronze the Complicated Way” Chapter 2 in Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art. The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1998. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000.

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hst137

Reflection of this Week’s Great Wall

This week I did a lot of reading–my last blog post and the insightful annotations by my classmates, the written works that I used to generate my thoughts, and my peers’ posts and their references.

I learned a couple major points from a week’s worth of research. One element is that in order to understand the history of a physical, historical landmark, evidence from that time period is necessary, including both factual documentation and fictional legends, because it gives an account of life, values, and thoughts at that time. Knowledge of the origins of stories, in particular, can be a starting point for discussing the cultural value bestowed upon an object, or in this case, a landmark, can change over time.

I dived into W.L. Idema’s two versions, titled Mobilizing the Gods and Forbidden Desires. I found it fascinating that the legends about Lady Meng Jiangnü were vastly different in plot, yet the result at the end insinuated that the Great Wall has yet to be built or cannot be built. Why is that? Are these legends significant pieces of evidence that support the idea that the Great Wall was not fully made in the Qin Dynasty?

Things I Learned this Week

  • Despite my newfound knowledge that the known history of the Great Wall is not completely true, the structure itself is still very important.
  • Legends that may be unbelievable and/or include supernatural components still contribute meaningful insights into learning and understanding history; they bring awareness to the behind-the-scenes aspects of history that may not be revealed in documentation.
  • Upon initial glance, the Great Wall is amazing, but there is a striking gratitude in being enlightened on the hows and whys of its creation.

Bibliographic References

Idema, W. L. Meng Jiangnü Brings Down the Great Wall: Ten Versions of a Chinese Legend. A China Program Book. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2008.

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hst137

The Real(?) History of the Great Wall

The Great Wall is one of the most famous features of China that has been standing for several centuries. Despite its universal recognition, the Great Wall has discrepancies in its debatable history that many people believe today. Arthur Waldron, the author of The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth, brings the popular misconception to light: the Great Wall was not created in seventh century B.C.E. but much later, after sixteenth century C.E.

He furthers his case and states that because societal knowledge of the creation of the Great Wall of China is incorrect, the Great Wall before the 1600s is nonexistent. To generate both arguments, Waldron discusses archaeological evidence, anecdotes (and lack there of), and timeline justification. Using these discussion points, he ultimately states that the history of the Great Wall is a social construct, established by modern thinkers through misinterpretation.

Lady Meng Jiang, the protagonist in the legend associated with the Great Wall, jumping into the water.

There is a popular legend surrounding the Great Wall, and it is called the legend of Lady Meng Jiang. I read the version titled Mobilizing the Gods, written by W.L. Idema, in Meng Jiangnü Brings Down the Great Wall: Ten Versions of a Chinese Legend:

Newlywed Xu Meng Jiang’s husband is drafted to build a great wall, ordered by the Emperor of the Qin dynasty. After nearly a year of waiting, Meng Jiang embarks on a journey to her beloved husband but discovers the bones of her dead husband in the wall. The emperor arrives at the site and wants Meng Jiang to be his wife. She agrees in exchange for a proper burial for her husband by the sea. At the funeral, Meng Jiang escapes and jumps into the water. This experience transforms the “stupid and sinful king [to become] a virtuous ruler,” stopping the building of the wall.

To my surprise, this story depicts the Great Wall as a disgrace. I assume that this legend influences Chinese people to remember and honor the precious lives that were lost prior to celebrating the remarkable achievement that is the Great Wall of China. Additionally, the supernatural elements embedded in the story encourage readers to reconsider the truth of the formation of the Wall. This notion of reorienting aligns with historians’ statements that the Wall was not made during the Qin dynasty.

Bibliographic References

Idema, W. L. Meng Jiangnü Brings Down the Great Wall: Ten Versions of a Chinese Legend. A China Program Book. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2008.

Waldron, Arthur. The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Cambridge Studies in Chinese History, Literature, and Institutions. Cambridge England: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

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hst137

Cat Tricks

Comparison is often noted as the thief of joy. While that statement is true, comparison is also a powerful motivator. It encourages one to try again and take another step forward. This image depicts the immense influence of people that one is surrounded by.

Shoot for the STARS! Four kittens(?) stare in awe at their friend jump to great heights.
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