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Upon leading a victorious rebellion against the
foreign Mongul rulers of the Yuan Dynasty, a
peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang seized control of
China and founded the Ming Dynasty in 1368. As
emperor, he founded his capital at Nanjing and
adopted the name Hongwu as his reign title.
Hongwu, literally meaning “vast military,” reflects
the increased prestige of the army during the
Ming Dynasty. Culturally, the greatest innovation
of the Ming Dynasty was the introduction of the
novel. Developed from the folk tales of
traditional storytellers, these works were
transcribed in the everyday vernacular language
of the people. Advances in printmaking and the
increasing population of urban dwellers largely
contributed to the success of these books.
Architecturally, the most famous monument of
the Ming Dynasty is surely the complex of
temples and palaces known as the Forbidden
City that was constructed in Beijing after the
third ruler of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongle,
moved the capital there. Today, the Forbidden
Palace remains one of the hallmarks of
traditional Chinese architecture and is one of the
most popular tourist destinations in the vast
nation.
This fabulous pair of lion tiles date from this
exciting chapter in China’s history. Originally
they must have formed part of the architectural
adornment of a palace or temple. The sculptor
has exploited every available surface to
showcase his skill. On the uppermost level a
fierce Fu Lion (also known as a Fu Dog) keeps
watch. While sculptures of Fu Dogs originally
stood guard outside Buddhist temples, by the
time of the Ming Dynasty, when this work was
created, the dogs had lost most of their religious
significance and were placed outside the
entrances of homes and palaces out of custom. In
this case the lions have been carved at a vertical
angle, almost as if they are about to tumble over
the edge in their excitement. On the next level
down are roundels, within which small figures
carry out a variety of pursuits. On the lower edge
of these roundels the sculptor has included a
charming detail; small fish, with each scale
clearly defined, have been squeezed into the
available space. Beneath this is a ledge,
supported by a large lion paw. Beautiful floral
motifs and a phoenix-like bird adorn the surface
in low relief. The care taken over the details of
these whimsical tiles implies that they were
created at the request of an important patron.
- (DL.2101)
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