Art, Ritual and Religion: An Introduction

How do we, as humans, deal with life and death?

Throughout the history of the world, humans have searched for and have developed ways to address the challenges of living, define one’s place in the universe, and find meaning through rituals, ceremonies, beliefs structures and religious practices. Today, our understanding of ancient beliefs and practices comes largely through the archaeological record left behind.

The small window a few archeological objects, in general considered to be art today, opens to a vast world that leads us to further ponder this question. The Chinese civilization, as early as Shang Dynasty from almost 5,000 years ago, provides us a unique perspective and evidence to look into these questions. In the end, our shared human history is a history evolving around responses to these questions situated in different cultural, historical and natural contexts. By examining the early history of Chinese civilization, we hope we open the possibility for our participants not only to learn some fascinating facts of ancient Chinese civilization, but to reflect and relate to what we are encountering today. After all, all humans have to deal with life and death.

While this introductory session provides an overview, the following five programs will explore the objects, motifs, architecture, and tomb décor that expressed such beliefs from the Bronze Age of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties through to the establishment of Confucianism and Daoism and emergence of Buddhism during the empire of the Han Dynasty.

The 6-session series will deepen our understanding of how art, bronze vessels, and Buddhist imagery express meaning and lend structure to ritual and to religious practices. At the same time, these programs will address the shared human commonalities of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.

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