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China:
The Frontier
The painting in this case depicts the Great Wall of China.
This section, near Beijing, was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
China's walls protected it from nomadic invaders and foreign governments.
The skeletal remains in this case belong to a nomadic warrior (Hsiung-nu)
who lived in approximately AD 1000. The skeleton is seen with the
warrior's quiver and saddle. The painting symbolizes daily life
and the meeting of two ecosystems - the wheat-growing population
of the flat plains of north China next to the nomadic population
of the hills and tundra of north China and Mongolia. On one side
of the Great Wall, the right side of the painting, is a wheat farming
settlement, while on the opposite side a caravan of traders approaches
the gates.
Student activity - standards: SS2, SS3, ELA4, ELA1
 Traditional
China: Theater
Theater in a variety of forms flourished throughout China's countryside
and urban centers. Opera and puppet shows enlivened village and
temple festivals. In opera, the stage set was simple, while the
actors' makeup, costuming, and movements were elaborate. The characters
of the shadow puppets here are from the story of the Monkey King,
from the novel Journey to the West. Sun-Wukong, the Monkey King,
is a mischievous anti-authoritarian figure renowned for his magical
and martial arts skills. In the shadow puppet screen, Sun-Wukong
(far right) and his sidekicks, Friar Sands and Pigsy (left), assist
the Tang Priest Xuanzang on his sacred quest to India to bring back
Buddhist sutras (texts). This story is popular with children today
not only in opera performances, but also in cartoons and movies.
Student activity - standards: A4, SS2
 Traditional
China: The Wedding
Traditional Chinese society was based on the extended family as
the primary economic and social unit. Weddings are important family
events because they bring in new members, brides, who produce children.
The elaborate decoration of the wedding chair has much symbolic
meaning. The blue kingfisher feathers symbolize beauty and a happy
marriage. The small dangling mirrors protect the bride and her marriage
by frightening away ghosts. The wedding chair was used to transport
the bride to her new home. Brides are usually carried (on bikes
or in cars today) to protect them during this transitional period.
The bride, who most likely would not have met her husband before
the wedding, was hidden inside the chair by the front panels (at
the right side of diorama), which have been left off for display
purposes. The matchmaking of the couple was carefully planned according
to Chinese astrology and financial strategy. The bride's dowry would
have been carried along as part of the procession, displaying the
status of her family. The chair, the day, and the event mark dramatic
changes in the life cycle and identity of the bride. She is no longer
a member of her parents' family, but that of her husband.
Student activity - standards: M6, SS2, ELA4, ELA1
Traditional
China: City Street Scene Mural
This mural of an urban street depicts aspects of traditional
life at the time of Marco Polo's famous visit. Like any urban center,
the one shown in the painting is complex. Multiple activities such
as a Buddhist temple ceremony, fortune-telling, games and entertainment,
transporting of goods, a wedding procession, and shopping are occurring
simultaneously.
Student activity - standards: SS2, SS3
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