The Significance and Diversity of Chinese Sculpture
Chinese Sculpture is an art that records a wonderful civilization of China. The delicate artworks of carving and sculpture reflect facts about the life of Chinese people all along the history. Chinese sculptural art, while differing greatly from its western counterparts, has thrived in a long historical process of development in many aspects.
The works of Chinese Sculpture are in great variety and lend a fantastic visual effect. Chinese sculptors have sculpted delicate objects, such as figures, animals, plants and landscapes, with a number of new kinds of raw materials, such as stone, wood root, bamboo, clay, ice, nut, ivory, bone, sand and coal, apart from the traditional bronze and jade. Many of the works have become precious artistic pearls in the treasure house of Chinese art.
A Monumental Archaeological Discovery: The Terracotta Army
One of the most magnificent archaeological findings of the 20th century is the tomb of the First Emperor at Xi’an China. In March 1974 an underground chamber was found containing an army of more than 6,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers of the late 3rd century BC. Other nearby chambers contained more than 1,400 ceramic figures of cavalrymen and chariots, all arranged in battle formation.
The Influence of Western Art on Chinese Modern Sculpture
Western art greatly influenced Chinese modern sculpture since the 20th century. The sculpture departments were set up in many art academies to introduce both classical and modern western sculpture arts.
With the rapid development since 1980s, Chinese artists communicated with the west in a wide range, hence the theories and ideas of modern sculpture art began taking root in China. Nowadays with the distinctive art language and the form of presentation, city sculptures play an important role in the construction of urban environment with a special trait as laying more stress on the connection between the city space and human environment.
