Song Dynasty
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of 199 objects from the Chinese Song Dynasty (AD 960–1279). This collection contains approximately 142 ceramics – Ding, Jun, Longquan and Qingbai wares. There are 21 bronze mirrors and replica food and wine vessels, some of which are inlaid with gold and silver. The collection also holds 34 items of jade, one iron item and a wooden sculpture of Guanyin, the goddess of compassion. Song Dynasty merchants were involved in large-scale production. To advertise their wares, makers stamped ceramic vessels with inscriptions. The collection has two vessels of Cizhou type with inscriptions, one ‘Made by the Zhang family’ and the other ‘Made by the Shen family’. The Song Dynasty, often described as the Classical Age of Chinese culture, is historically divided into two main phases – Northern Song (960–1127) and Southern Song (1127–1279). In general, the masterpieces of the Northern Song period reflect the spirit of Confucianism, whilst those of the Southern Song embody the spirit of Zen Buddhism. The period itself was a time of great intellectual activity, and it produced many of China’s greatest poets, writers, historians, philosophers and artists.
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