Joseon Dynasty

The Joseon Dynasty laid the path for many aspects of design found throughout the world, in present day, including architecture, art, inventions, motifs, and furniture. The history of North Korea has consisted of numerous accounts of conflict and division. Although it is said that the Korean peninsula has been inhabited since the Lower Paleolithic times, the first kingdom of Gojoseon, was founded in 2333 B.C.E. by Dangun. [1] Gojoseon, referred to as The Old Joseon, began the creation of the Proto-Three Kingdom period consisting of three small kingdoms known as Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla.[2] Silla gained power through significant aid from China and ultimately conquered most of the peninsula by 668 C.E. to create the Unified Silla period. [2]…

planning of the Government General Building in Seoul was similar to that of the Grand Poste Office. Japanese colonial rule “dramatically transformed the spatial structure of Seoul” (10 Urban Planning of Seoul), which also included the street system of Seoul. Branching out from the primary arterial road of Jong-ro Street, the Japanese established a larger network of roads throughout Seoul [Fig.4]. The building is located on a street that branches out from the central Jong-ro Street. However, the…

Koreans suffered the worst of Japan’s aggression, Japan’s goal was the complete conquest of China. During this time Korea was a tributary state for the Ming Dynasty, sending missions bearing gifts in exchange for protection. The Ming Dynasty and Korea teamed up to defeat the Japanese, but the war devastated the peninsula. The Qing Empire of Manchuria began by pressuring the Koreans to renounce their loyalty to the Ming court. In 1636, eight years before they took control of China and established…

During the earlier years of Korea, the Silla kingdom (668 – 918) had much influence of the Korean people and their culture; the Korean people adopted the religion of Buddhism and it became the centre of their spirituality as well as their politics. It was during the Koryo dynasty (918 – 1392) of Korea that Buddhist-inspired art and studies were growing and thriving in Korea, and it was near the end of the Koryo dynasty where they adopted a new philosophy known as Neo-Confucianism. The Korean…

and falls of power. Each fall and rise was typically due to an awful king, war, or chaos: and sometimes it was a product of all three. Egypt excelled in most things to build a powerful empire; government, trading, leadership and a strong sense of religion (or belief in gods). All of these qualities could either build or destroy an empire; in which Egypt experienced both. Egypt tremendously influenced the Chinese way of leadership in relation to the rise and fall type of dynasty. In early Egypt…

I selected the Power Figure (Nkisi Nkondi) from The Brooklyn Museum’s Collections: Art of Africa. It was difficult to narrow the choice to only one. Each piece had so many eye catching elements. Each piece had its own story to tell and teach us about its history. The Nkisi Nkondi demanded my attention by the aggressive stature and glaring eyes. To fully appreciate this piece we need to learn its history. The Power Figure also known as Nkisi (in-KEE-see) Nkondi (in-CON-dee) came from the Kongo…

Suzanna Blier’s Art and Risk in Ancient Yoruba: Ife History, Power and Identity examines the creation and expression of sculptures and other arts in the ancient city of Ife. The novel provides an interesting lens into the early civilization’s culture by examining the often perplexingly technical sculptures that have intrigued historians for centuries. The first chapter specifically address Blier’s theory that the looming potential of different risks bolstered the quality and technical complexity…

His fear that Korea would devolve to barbarian status is nonsensical in that a few centuries before, China itself has been ruled by barbarians and clearly culturally transformed by their rule. Had China remained its own state and continued to conquer surrounding nations as it did during the Han dynasty then his argument may have some validity. There is no definite way to know Ch’oe Malli’s knowledge on the extensive history of China as the stretch of the Chinese empire grew and shrank from the…

The development of sculpture are closely associated the emergence of human society. It is the history of human identity recording the thoughts, culture, and aesthetic concept of the people at that age, also reflects the pursuit of one generation to another generation. Commemorative Portrait of a Chief (Lefem), an African wood sculpture from 19th to early 20th century, is a portrayal of one of the ruler of Bangwa chiefdoms . In contrast, The Marble Statue of a Youthful Hercules, a Roman marble…

civilians. The Han rulers modified some of the harsher aspects of the Zhao dynasty; Confucian ideals of government, out of favor during the Qin period, were adopted as the creed of the Han Empire, and Confucian scholars gained prominent status as the core of the civil…