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Daily Life


Work, Leisure, Clothing and Textiles, Politics and Portraits, Furniture, Houshold, Funerals, Death, Murder, Family.



7 subcategories
Agriculture

AGRICULTURE

Clothing and Textiles

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES

Furniture

FURNITURE

Illness and Diseases

ILLNESS AND DISEASES

Industry

INDUSTRY

Leisure

LEISURE

Work

WORK

8,731 photos
Monk,pilgrim,accompanied by a tiger (Xuanzang). China,Donhuang,T'ang Dynasty,end 9th CE Ink and colour on paper, 49,6 x 29,4 cm
#03070216

Monk,pilgrim,accompanied by a tiger (Xuanzang). China,Donhuang,T'ang Dyn...

Prince Shotoku Taishi, Japan, Kamakura period, early 14th. He is shown as a 16-year old youth holding a censer and praying for the recovery of his sick father the Emperor Yomei.At his feet sit two smaller figures in the court dress of the Kamakura period. The prince was one of the outstanding figures of Japanese history and was instrumental in establishing Buddhism in Japan. Prince Shotoku was sometimes seen as a reincarnation of Shaka (the historical Buddha) and many paintings and statues of him were produced at that time for devotional purposes. JA,JP ADD370 (1961.4-8.01)
#03070218

Prince Shotoku Taishi, Japan, Kamakura period, early 14th. He is shown as a 16-...

Figure of Aizen Myo-o, Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century. Aizen is one of the five MYO-o, "Kings of Light" protectors of the esoteric Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Aizen has six arms, each holding one of his attributes: bow, arrow, thunderbolts, some missing from this figure. The statue is made of laquered and pigmented wood, with crystal inlaid eyes. JA, 1885.12-27.27
#03070219

Figure of Aizen Myo-o, Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century. Aizen is...

Jade ornament, Eastern Zhou period, 5th century BC. These four discs of jade were for the decoration of a belt or pendant. The fact that they are linked without any joins represents an extraordinary piece of craftsmanship, since jade is such a difficult material to work. Its hardness is one of the many qualities which made jade so highly prized in ancient China.This ornament clearly belonged to someone of high social status. OA, 1937.4-16.250
#03070221

Jade ornament, Eastern Zhou period, 5th century BC. These four discs of jade wer...

Earthenware model of a cart with bullock and human figures, Six Dynasties period, 6th century. The bull pulling the cart is flanked by two men. Their features show that they are not Chinese. Underneath the bull is a jug. From the time of the Han dynasty (206 BC-220) tomb models showing aspects of daily life were common in China. After the fall of the Han dynasty the spectacular range of funerary models diminished, reappearing only after a few centuries with a new emphasis on figures, rather than buildings which had been more common in the Han. This model has been scientifically tested by a method known as thermoluminescence, which may be used for dating ceramic objects. It is a relatively rare piece, which anticipates the large tomb figure industry which grew from the seventh century. OA, 1925.10-15.3
#03070224

Earthenware model of a cart with bullock and human figures, Six Dynasties period...

Liubo players found in eastern China, Han dynasty, 1st-2nd century. The figures in this group are gambling. They are playing Liubo, a game thought to be popular among both mortals and immortals. The board is marked with divination symbols, and the game pieces show the animals of the four directions: the White Tiger (West), the Green Dragon (East), the Vermilion Bird (South) and the Tortoise, with a snake coiled around its body, known as the Dark Warrior (North). It is an ancient Chinese belief that the world one passed into after death was similar to the living world. Therefore, to maintain one's status in the next world, a tomb should be provided with all the things one had used in this life. OA, 1933.11-14.1
#03070226

Liubo players found in eastern China, Han dynasty, 1st-2nd century. The figures...

Group of sancai ceramic tomb figures, probably Henan province, Tang dynasty, early 8th century. The group comprises two fabulous beasts (one with a human face), two fierce lokapala, guardian figures usually seen at the entrance to temples, and in the centre, two officials, one military, one civil. The military official has armour over his green robe and a bird of prey on his hat. About one metre high, these are among the tallest known burial figures from the Tang dynasty (618-906). They are reputed to be from the tomb of Liu Tingxun, an important military commander who died in 728. The memorial tablet found with these figures records his skill in military matters and the arts of statesmanship, and that he died at the age of seventy-two. Apart from the heads, the figures are completely covered with lead sancai (three-colour) glaze. OA, 1936.10-12.220-9
#03070228

Group of sancai ceramic tomb figures, probably Henan province, Tang dynasty, ear...

Cizhou ware ceramic pillow, From Hebei Province, northern China, c1050-c1150. Ceramic pillows were used by the living, but also buried in tombs for the next life, along with other items for daily use. This pillow is in the shape of a leaf, set on a square base. The headrest was probably coated with white slip, then a layer of black slip. This was incised and then cut away to leave the design of the dancing bear attached to a pole. Scrape marks are visible on the white background. Finally, a transparent glaze was applied. The term 'Cizhou ware' refers to a type of sturdy stoneware produced at many kilns throughout the northern Chinese provinces of Hebei, Henan and Shaanxi. OA, 1936.10-12.169
#03070232

Cizhou ware ceramic pillow, From Hebei Province, northern China, c1050-c1150. Ce...

Jade eye plaques, Chinese, Han dynasty, c206 BC-c220. These jade eye covers actually resemble the shape of eyes. The holes at the ends are for attaching the plaques to a cloth or other material. They were also made in glass, a cheap substitute for those who could not afford jade. Jade has traditionally been the most highly prized of all materials in China. Owing to its beauty and great durability, it was gradually associated with special powers, particularly protective ones. Over time, it came to be believed that jade would protect the body from decomposition after death. The burial practice of covering the head and, later, the body, with jade pieces originated in the Western Zhou period (1050-771 BC). A later development of that custom, during the Han dynasty (206 BC-220) was the plugging of the corpse's nine orifices with jade. Jade covers closed the eyes, signifying watchfulness. OA, 1945.10-17.25a, b
#03070241

Jade eye plaques, Chinese, Han dynasty, c206 BC-c220. These jade eye covers actu...

Copy of an idol venerated in the Temple of the Five Hundred Genii in Canton, China. The idol is an effigy of early traveller Marco Polo (1254-1324), who spent 12 years at the court of Kublai Khan (1214-1294),Mongolian ruler of China. Wood, gilded. See also 40-08-03/20
#03070244

Copy of an idol venerated in the Temple of the Five Hundred Genii in Canton, Chi...

Country doctor applying a painful cure of moxibustion (traditional Chinese medical therapy utilizing special herbs) to a man's back. Hanging scroll, silk embroidery. Song Dynasty, China; 10th century CE.
#03070249

Country doctor applying a painful cure of moxibustion (traditional Chinese medic...

On the River at Qing Ming Festival. This painting is considered one of the most valuable in Chinese art history for its high level of technical quality and the liveliness with which it portrays the myriad details of urban life. It is generally interpreted as portraying the city environs of Kaifeng, the Northern Song capital, and some of the surrounding countryside. Handscroll, ink and colors on silk. Northern Song Dynasty, China; 12th century CE.
#03070250

On the River at Qing Ming Festival. This painting is considered one of the most...