#20 Seven Ancient Chinese Capitals (2) - A look at Nanjing
Nanjing has a long illustrious history and its importance during the era of the Six Dynasties epitomises the rise of South China.
Today’s article is a continuation of a series of articles on seven ancient capitals of China. I started with Beijing and based on the clockwise movement of the above picture, I am focusing on Nanjing here.
Nanjing has a long illustrious history as evidenced by its history of being chosen as the capital of China during these periods:
Six Dynasties 六朝 (222–589) which is the period of Chinese history between the fall of the Han dynasty ( 220) and the unification of China under the Sui dynasty (589).
Southern Tang Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864)
Republic of China
Thy Name Is ?
Nanjing (Nánjīng) 南京 literally means South 南 Capital 京. But compared to Beijing, it has a myriad of names before Nanjing became established during the Ming Dynasty. Below is the list of names for Nanjing which was the capital during various periods of China:
"Ancient Capital of the Six Dynasties" 六朝古都
The Six Dynasties succeeded from the Han Dynasty and was the predecessor of the Tang Dynasty, and itself was known to have established the splendid "Six Dynasties Civilisation", which achieved unprecedented prosperity in science and technology, literature, art and other aspects.
The southern part of China then achieved tremendous development and a new historical era of Chinese civilisation was created. The similarity of these six dynasties is that the capital was established in Nanjing, so Nanjing is known as the "Ancient Capital of the Six Dynasties" 六朝古都.
As an illustration, consider the below 青瓷堆塑人物楼阙魂瓶 of the Eastern Wu Dynasty.
青瓷堆塑人物楼阙魂瓶 comprises of these Chinese words:
青瓷 Celadon
堆塑人物 Stacked Human Figures
楼阙 Building and Pavilion
魂瓶 Spirit Vase
So it is a Spirit Vase made of celadon that has decorations of human figures , building and pavilion.
The Oriental Metropolitan Museum 六朝博物馆 explains:
青瓷质，肩部以上堆塑各种人物、飞鸟、楼阙、亭台，错落有致，姿态万千；腹部贴有简单的模印装饰。上繁下简的独特造型，体现了细节与整体的完美结合，是六朝青瓷艺术中极具特色的精品。
魂瓶是一种流行于三国两晋时期，专为陪葬烧制的明器。形制来源于汉代的五联罐，装饰内容十分丰富，成型工艺极为复杂。集多种题材于一体的装饰风格显示了强烈的时代特征，与当时人们祈求灵魂升天的观念关系密切。
Translation
“It was made of celadon, with various figures, birds, building, pavilion sculpted above the shoulders of the vase in an irregular arrangement with charming effect and has alluring poses, and with a simple molded decoration on the belly. The unique shape of the upper and lower part of the vase reflects the perfect combination of details and the wholeness, and is a very characteristic fine piece of celadon art in the Six Dynasties.
Spirit vase was a type of Ming ware popular in the period of Three Kingdoms and Two Jin dynasties, specially made using fire in a kiln as accompanying object for the burial. The shape was derived from the five-linked jars of the Han Dynasty, and the decoration was very rich and the molding process was extremely complicated. The decorative style, which integrated a variety of themes, shows the strong characteristics of the era and is closely related to the concept of praying for the ascension of the spirit at that time.”
Below is a video showcasing some exhibits of the Six Dynasties in the stupendous Oriental Metropolitan Museum 六朝博物馆 located in Nanjing, and you would be impressed with the art development during the era of Six Dynasties.