The Han Dynasty was the second great Chinese imperial dynasty after the Zhou Dynasty and was founded by Liu Bang. This dynasty established what is now considered Chinese culture. The word "Han" is even used to describe someone who is Chinese. Copying the centralized Qin administrative structure, the Han Dynasty divided the country into separate administrative areas ruled by officials. It also developed a salaried bureaucracy in which promotion was based on merit. Unlike the Qin Dynasty, though, the Confucian ideology was adopted, which emphasized moderation and virtue. The culture which was lost during the Qin Dynasty was also revived. Music and dance accompanied banquets and rituals. The first major tomb sculpture in China was created during this period. Tombs contained paintings on the interior which depicted portraits and scenes in history. There were also lifelike clay figurines of people as well as animals. Bronze work and weaving also became popular. The weaving of silk became a major industry and source of export trade. The Han Dynasty created a new genre of poetry, fu, which combined rhyme and prose. This genre was a form of creative writing which was meant to entertain.
As seen in Lady Dai's funeral banner, the elites in China liked a lavish lifestyle and elaborate tombs. Lady Dai's tomb was one of three elite tombs found in Mawangui, Hunan Province in 1972. She was the wife of a high - ranking Han official civil servant, the Marquis of Dai, and was buried along with him and their son. In Lady Dai's tomb, there was a painted silk banner. This banner was over six feet long and in great condition. While the actual purpose is unknown, it is suggested that it has some connection with the afterlife. This banner is important because it is an early example of pictorial art in China and features the earliest known portrait in Chinese painting. The banner also portrays the cosmological beliefs and funerary practices of this period. In one of the four compartments surrounding the tomb, a representation of where Lady Dai was meant to sit and eat in the afterlife was there to guarantee that she would life comfortable for eternity.
The people of the Han Dynasty in China, as seen in the funerary banner, lived very lavish lifestyles and were concerned with how they would live in the afterlife. Elaborate tombs also worked to show this ideology.
As seen in Lady Dai's funeral banner, the elites in China liked a lavish lifestyle and elaborate tombs. Lady Dai's tomb was one of three elite tombs found in Mawangui, Hunan Province in 1972. She was the wife of a high - ranking Han official civil servant, the Marquis of Dai, and was buried along with him and their son. In Lady Dai's tomb, there was a painted silk banner. This banner was over six feet long and in great condition. While the actual purpose is unknown, it is suggested that it has some connection with the afterlife. This banner is important because it is an early example of pictorial art in China and features the earliest known portrait in Chinese painting. The banner also portrays the cosmological beliefs and funerary practices of this period. In one of the four compartments surrounding the tomb, a representation of where Lady Dai was meant to sit and eat in the afterlife was there to guarantee that she would life comfortable for eternity.
The people of the Han Dynasty in China, as seen in the funerary banner, lived very lavish lifestyles and were concerned with how they would live in the afterlife. Elaborate tombs also worked to show this ideology.