The long history of China with all its twists, beauty, cruelty and power takes on a new look in Alexandra Wetzel’s “China: From the Foundation of the Empire to the Ming Dynasty,” part of the Dictionaries of Civilization series published by the University of California Press.
A huge amount of information is packed into these small pages, recounting the history of the Middle Kingdom, from explanations of the role of eunuchs to the principles of yin and yang to the importance of horses, religious symbolism and much, much more.
The accompanying illustrations, though, are what turn this from a potentially routine timetable to something spectacular and make it the book you should read to understand the country’s significance and role in the development of so much of current civilization. The analysis of the artwork lays the groundwork, not only explaining the physical depiction but also what we can learn about the culture.
The artwork is quite stunning and goes well beyond terra cotta soldiers or Ming vases: An early 10th-Century Tang dynasty illustration shows two condemned men, dressed only in loincloths, handcuffed and yoked, marched before judges to learn their fate. The sheer helplessness of the two men and the sense of the continuity and detachment of the judicial system leap off the page. As the men are escorted away, the judges and various officials turn their attention elsewhere, the pair no longer important, if they ever were, to the court. And with this one example, we learn about the power of China’s legal system.
Similarly, a 2nd-Century shows a magistrate listening as witnesses and the accused kneel before him. Again, all the powers rest with the legal officials, who, the text notes, had the authority to torture all the involved people to resolve the case.
The included examples of art, even those that have deteriorated over time or through neglect, are beautiful.
Despite the fading obvious in some of it, they stand out on each page, inviting readers to explore and understand what they’re seeing.
Through the artwork, we get a look at the key elements of Chinese culture, including how art evolved, ad its role in day-to-day life, the government, the military and the routines of even the most ordinary Chinese.
Some art shows Chinese peasants buying good from an itinerant peddler or being treated by a healer; other shows officials in their full regalia, the authority of their office evident in the displays on their clothing or the equipment they carry.
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