Tripod incense burner with Xuande mark

Archaism from the Song through Qing Dynasties, 960–1911

Drawing inspiration from the past, and collecting ancient objects, were themes that became significant during the Song dynasty, and evolved and increased in importance during the Ming and Qing dynasties. With the rise of new philosophical developments, emperors of the Song dynasty desired to align themselves with China’s past rulers, and possession of antique artifacts implied equal stature with the wise rulers of ancient times. Ritual bronzes were amassed and catalogued, and records of these collections were published using woodblock-print illustrations.

Ming and Qing rulers were decidedly more political in their artistic sensibilities, laying claim on the past as a form of legitimacy. This later form of archaism was more complex, as it drew sources not only from bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but also from Song interpretations of earlier bronzes, ceramics, and jade, thus at times resulting in copies of more ancient copies. By and large, the shapes of Ming and Qing ceramics were based on earlier metal forms, yet their glaze techniques imitated those popular during the more recent Song dynasty. Zoomorphic shapes in bronze, intended to emulate Shang and Zhou forms, were embellished with gold flecks or lacquer and often served different purposes from those of their ritual predecessors.