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The Art of Asia
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Ch'in Dynasty
Dynasty Timeline Ching Dynasty Ming Dynasty Yuan Dynasty Sung Dynasty Sung Dynasty Five Dynasties Tang Dynasty Six Dynasties Han Dynasty Chin Dynasty Chou Dynasty Shang Dynasty Neolithic Era

From This Dynasty

Pear-shaped Vase
Pear-shaped Vase

Cup
Cup

Sui

581 - 618

Pronunciation: "sway"

First ruled by a progressive leader and then by his ne'er-do-well son, this brief period closed with the arrival of a third emperor, one who would usher in the T'ang dynasty, another Chinese golden age. But first, Sui potters took preliminary steps toward inventing porcelain by molding white clay into simple forms and applying a clear glaze. A strong Indian influence is evident in both the abundant sculpture and the numerous Buddhist temples and meditation caves dating from the Sui.

Lung-Men Meditation Caves
Lung-Men Meditation Caves

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