Deck 16: China and Korea to 1279

Question 1

During the 1928 excavations at Anyang, fragmentary records and a large number of goods were discovered which provided information regarding their rulers. Included among the discoveries were pounded earthen walls that provided protection for the city. Which of the following was also learned as a consequence of this excavation and discovery?

A) revealed a warlike, highly stratified society
B) revealed the extent of the Xia Dynasty's power
C) revealed a commitment to nation-wide unification
D) revealed a commitment to establishing diplomatic relations with Japan

Answer 1

A

Question 2

One of the most important tasks of the Chinese artist was which of the following.

A) serve as an instrument through which nature could reveal itself
B) impose a mathematical structure on the chaos of nature
C) demonstrate man's domination of nature
D) demonstrate his own individuality

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Chan Buddhism gained gradual importance under the Song emperors. The basic tenet of this school is the cultivation of mind and spirit in order to break through the illusions of ordinary reality. Which of the following is the vehicle used in order to achieve this break through to enlightenment?

A) orderly meetings and recitations
B) giving alms to the poor
C) meditation
D) pilgrimage to the cave of Bodhidharma

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Bronze ritual vessels were most characteristic of the artistic expression of which period?

A) Shang
B) Song
C) Tang
D) Six Dynasties

Question 5

How does Fan Kuan reflect the Daoist sensitivity of individuality in Travelers Among Mountains and Streams?

A) by minimizing the human element
B) by focusing on the mountains
C) by focusing on the mountains and minimizing the human element
D) by combining the mountains and the human element

Question 6

The leading philosophy that flourished during the Southern Song period was a blend of traditional Chinese thought and selected Buddhist concepts. What was this philosophy called?

A) Neo-Chanism
B) Neo-Buddhism
C) Neo-Daoism
D) Neo-Confucianism

Question 7

Which of the following is characteristic of the Han pictorial style?

A) gold leaf backgrounds
B) rounded forms with rhythmic contours
C) no floral motifs
D) use of linear perspective devices

Question 8

It can be said that China's neighbors owe an immense debt to China; however which country provided the link between China and Japan?

A) Mongolia
B) Siberia
C) India
D) Korea

Question 9

Yan Liben's The Thirteen Emperors depicts thirteen Chinese rulers from the Han to the Sui dynasties. Its purpose was to portray these individuals as exemplars of moral and political virtue. Which of the following would explain this role of moral and political virtue?

A) The Daoist ideal
B) The Confucian ideal of learning from the past
C) The ideal set forth by the First Emperor
D) The ideal of good government as seen in Gandharan India

Question 10

The Hwangnamdong crown with its gold band and uprights, and jade comma-shaped pieces, is thought symbolize which of the following?

A) life and supernatural power
B) Silla Kingdom First Ancestor
C) life and the sun
D) the tears of Buddha

Question 11

Many Shang bronze vessels were used for rituals and the shape of the vessel matched its function in the ritual. Therefore it can be said that the fabulous animal shape is not purely decorative. Which of the following supports this statement?

A) each workshop was assigned a specific totemic animal
B) each fabulous animal shape connected with the world of spirits in the ritual
C) each fabulous animal shape is connected with the emperor
D) each workshop was allowed artistic license in the creative process

Question 12

The Great Wall of China was constructed as a defense against the nomadic peoples of the north, in particular the ____.

A) Goths
B) Han
C) Mongols
D) Huns

Question 13

During the Six Dynasties, Buddhism arrived in China. The oldest Chinese Buddhist texts describe Buddha as golden and radiating light. The Shakyamuni Buddha of the Six Dynasties is the first precisely datable Chinese Buddhist image. Which of the following is the medium used for this image?

A) gilded bronze
B) bronze
C) red lacquered wood
D) marble

Question 14

The broad range of subject matter, such as musicians on camel or Semitic traders, can be found in the ceramic figural tradition of which of the following?

A) Early Zhou
B) Shang
C) Six Dynasties
D) Tang

Question 15

One of the scenes from the Wu Family Shrine shows robed men bearing gifts and paying homage to a figure, identity uncertain. This figure is represented as larger than the other figures. What can be interpreted from this image?

A) the size of the figure describes his importance
B) because the figure is of uncertain identity he is unimportant
C) because the figure is of uncertain identity he is the emperor
D) because the figure is of uncertain identity he is the First Wu

Question 16

In addition to his work on the Great Wall, the Qin ruler Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China, is remembered in art history for which of the following?

A) the numerous bronze vessels buried with him
B) the army of life-sized ceramic and bronze warriors and horses he commissioned for his tomb at Lintong
C) the beautiful jade suit in which he was buried
D) his recognition of Buddhism as the official religion of China

Question 17

Emperor Huizong, an accomplished artist was more interested in the arts than in governing. He reorganized the imperial academy of painting and required the study of poetry and calligraphy as part of the official training program for court artists. Which of the following would also be included in the curriculum?

A) study of the tactical methods of the Mongols
B) study of the art of Nara Japan
C) study of the classical art of earlier periods
D) study of the governing methods of the First Emperor

Question 18

The Yangshao Culture is recognized for its ____.

A) bronzes
B) pottery
C) lacquer ware
D) calligraphy

Question 19

The Buddhist monument at Sokkuram was constructed under the supervision of Kim Tae-song, a member of the royal family and prime minister. He initiated the construction to honor his parents. It is also thought this was a private chapel for royalty. Which of the following would support this statement?

A) location of the monument
B) number of images sculpted for the interior
C) construction supervised by a member of the royal family
D) intimate scale and quality of reliefs and freestanding figures

Question 20

In Shang bronze vessels the external embellishment is an integral part of the vessel. Which of the following could also describe Shang bronze vessel work?

A) only selected designs are used for each vessel form
B) only a single design is fully integrated with the vessel form
C) only abstract designs are used for each vessel form
D) multiple designs and fields are fully integrated with the vessel form

Question 21

Who was Confucius and why is he significant?

Question 22

The Chinese interest in landscape painting was most strongly influenced by which of the following?

A) Daoist harmony with nature and poetic themes
B) Confucius's dictum that an appreciation of nature was the basis for human society
C) Buddhist concern with dharma
D) the Buddhist concept of nirvana

Question 23

Korean pottery of the twelfth century was recognized worldwide and highly sought, which of the following is that pottery?

A) cizhou ware
B) stoneware
C) celadon ware
D) earthenware

Question 24

The Silla rulers of Korea embraced Buddhism not only as a source for religious enlightenment but also as a protective force. They constructed Buddhist temples in and around their capital city, Kyongju. Based on this premise, which of the following would describe the Silla perception of these Buddhist temples?

A) seats of civil power
B) just places for worship
C) supernatural defense against external forces
D) extensions of royal power

Question 25

The Vairocana Buddha is not the historical Buddha. The Tang sculptors have created a serenely majestic figure of the Buddha. The smooth planes emphasize the figure's massive volume; the folds of his robes fall in a few concentric arcs. Therefore it can be said surface detail has been repressed and replaced with which of the following?

A) austere form
B) sensuous fleshiness
C) clinging drapery
D) monumental simplicity

Question 26

Who was Wu Zeitan?

Question 27

Evaluate Shang bronzes and what they say about the period.

Question 28

What is earthenware?

Question 29

Which of the following is most characteristic of the paintings of the northern Song artist Fan Kuan?

A) no landscapes
B) shifting perspective
C) massive human figures
D) bright contrasting colors

Question 30

Korea's Golden age occurred during which of the following periods?

A) Koguryo Kingdom
B) Paekche Kingdom
C) Yi Kingdom
D) Great Silla

Question 31

Explain the significance of dragons in Chinese iconography

Question 32

The Silla Crown with its uprights interpreted as stylized trees and antler forms has no counterpart in which of the following countries?

A) Japan
B) Siberia
C) China
D) India

Question 33

Describe the method used to create the army of statues for the First Emperor's tomb.

Question 34

The silk banner discovered in the tomb of the Marquise of Dai depicting dragons, immortal beings, and possibly the Marquise herself is thought to represent which of the following?

A) the story of her execution
B) the history of the Han
C) the ancestry of the Marquise
D) the heavenly, human and underworld realms

Question 35

Briefly describe the period of Disunity.

Question 36

Briefly describe Daoism.

Question 37

Which of the following typifies the Tang court and the art it commissioned?

A) worldly and self-assured
B) mystical and magical
C) xenophobic and reclusive
D) isolated and withdrawn

Question 38

Impressive celadon ceramics were developed during which of the following periods?

A) the Great Silla dynasty
B) the Koryo dynasty
C) the Yi dynasty
D) the Paekche kingdom

Question 39

What is the Silk Road?

Question 40

Ethnically, the Koreans are related to which of the following peoples?

A) Siberians and Mongolians
B) Aryans
C) Ruzh
D) Gandharans

Question 41

Describe the elements of traditional Chinese architecture and how it developed. Use examples to support your essay.

Question 42

What do these images say about Han funerary practices?

Question 43

How do these images reflect the Song painting tradition?

Question 44

How do these images reflect the Chinese Buddhist tradition?

Question 45

Compare and contrast the ceramics of Song China with Goryeo period Korea. How does each represent its period? Use examples to support your essay.

Question 46

Briefly describe the Unified Silla Kingdom.

Question 47

Compare and contrast the Paradise of Amitabha with Liang Kai's Sixth Chan Patriarch Chopping Bamboo. How does each image reflect its particular philosophy?

Question 48

How do these images represent the emperor?

Question 49

Briefly describe the Shakyamuni Buddha, Sokkuram.

Question 50

Describe Korea's position as a link between China and Japan.

Question 51

Compare and contrast the Vairocana Buddha, Longmen Caves with the Shakyamuni Buddha, Sokkuram Cave. How does each reflect the Indian prototype? How has each been modified by their respective cultures?

Question 52

Explain the importance of the Dunhuang Grottoes and its legacy to Buddhism.

Question 53

Discuss the influence of India on Chinese Buddhist sculpture. Use examples to support your essay.

Question 54

Discuss the significance of tomb excavations. How have they broadened the knowledge base of early Chinese visual arts and society? Use examples to support your essay.

Question 55

Compare and contrast the Standing Figure and the guang, both from the Shang Period. How does each satisfy the aesthetic vision as it was developed in this period?

Question 56

What was the probable motivation for the creation of this sculpture?

Question 57

How does each object define the visual vocabulary of its respective period?

Question 58

What was the function of each image?

Question 59

How do these images reflect religious and philosophical traditions?

Question 60

Discuss the development of painting in China, noting the materials and techniques used. What philosophical systems shaped Chinese landscape painting? How does landscape painting describe these systems? Use examples to support your essay.

Question 61

Compare the images and note how they mirror the subject matter of Buddhism.

Question 62

Compare and contrast these two images. How does each reflect its respective culture?

Question 63

How do these images reflect the essence of Chinese landscape painting?