Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties of China provides the first major survey of Chinese culture and its international influences during the Six Dynasties period, as well as the relationship between the two dominant political centers in the North and South. This bilingual catalogue of the exhibition presents more than 100 ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy, and paintings from the 3rd through 6th centuries, many only recently unearthed. 12 essays by leading scholars explore the works and artistic achievements of the period in greater depth, and the informative appendix features renowned Six Dynasties artistic subjects and a glossary of characters and terminology. The Six Dynasties period, from the 3rd to 6th centuries, was one of the most dynamic times in Chinese art history, akin to the European Renaissance in the impact it had on artistic creativity. Over the past 20 years, archaeological excavations have unearthed extraordinary works of art, forever altering scholarly understanding of this chaotic nearly 400-year period of political upheaval, geographical division, and civil strife. Not only was the Six Dynasties period a pivotal link in the historical timeline between the Han and Tang dynasties, but it is increasingly recognized for having laid the foundation for Chinese artistic standards, genres, subjects, and important themes that continue to define Chinese art today.

Author Biography

Willow Weilan Hai, Director of China Institute Gallery in New York, has been engaged in the field of Chinese art history in the United States for more than 25 years. Gong Liang is a Vice Chairman of the China Museum Association, a Vice President of the China Relics Conservation and Technology Association, a Director of the Association for the Protection of Monuments and Sites, and a Chairman of the Jiangsu Province Museum Association. Annette L. Juliano is Professor of Asian Art in the Department of Arts, Culture and Media at Rutgers University-Newark Campus. Bai Ning is the Director of the Nanjing Municipal Museum and the Director of the Chinese Museum Association and Vice Chairman of the Museum Association in Jiangsu Province. Shi Jinming, Director of Shanxi Provincial Museum and the former Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Shanxi Province.