Six Dynasties

220- 586

The wars, plagues, and political instability that characterize this lengthy period forced the Chinese to question traditional belief systems, especially Confucianism, and encouraged many to embrace Buddhism and Taoism. Despite the pervasive turmoil, the arts flourished and evolved. The invention of woodblock printing made it possible to teach the tenets of Buddhism to the masses. Poetry, painting, and sculpture, no longer associated with the state, became personal modes of expression. Even penmanship took an artistic turn, as calligraphers perfected increasingly picturesque styles.

Curator of Asian art Robert Jacobsen takes us through China's illustrious past by focusing on each of its historical dynasties.

Six Dynasties Map