One thing that is said to have happened during the Eastern Han -dynasty is that afterlife also became more permanent, from the emperors to the common people. Before, during the Western Han, the spirits of the dead could only survive if the living kept up ceremonial services for them, and even for most of the emperors these were carri on only until the fourth generation after their death and then ended. With bulk of the population, only the most important clan ancestors would also have received services beyond the immediate few generations after their death. But during the Eastern Han an idea of a permament afterlive open to all seems to have spread and led to more spending on things for the afterlive among those who could afford it.
I wish this video had provided a little more background: a few hundred years prior to the Han Dynasty, extremely wealthy Chinese would pay for servants who were buried with their dead. This was controversial even in their day. Less wealthy families buried terra cotta dolls of these servants instead--a practice which, as the video shows very briefly, culminated in the First Emperor's Terra Cotta Army. Some philosophers saw the practice of burying clay dolls of servants as more humane than burying live servants, while other philosophers opined that burying live servants was so barbaric that its memory deserved to be canceled rather than perpetuate symbolically by the dolls. One can still see last vestiges of this practice: in the 20th century, families would buy paper models of furniture, houses, appliances, even Mercedes, that are buried or burned graveside for the use of ancestors in the afterlife. San Francisco Chinatown still has one store that sells these paper models for the ancestors' posthumous pleasures.
Can you elaborate more about the debates between burying live servants & replacing with dolls? If I read correctly you said that the pros of "live servants were barbaric that their memories deserved to be erased rather than with dolls clay" (if that's how I read right). Were there even some other controversial discussions back then such as the practice of human sacrifice (which if I remembered right it's mentioned on Princess Ping's burial ceremony to commemorate her).
Idealy, this burial arts make me realize how emotional, emphatizing, & loving kindness can be to bury someone that you're so close & still caring them even when they're now "in different world from yours" (abit similar when parents give packs to their gonna be oversea abroad kids). It feels like that "my love wants to still on the way with you even when death still seperates us all".......... Stop scrolling coz this part may ruin the previous mood. I don't wanna sound bad but.... I hope I don't sound cynical if you read this part Are you ready? Realisticly though, it's abit mix between "just another regular ceremonial monday + for political acceptances + showing off my extravagant status + one of my good list to look good". But I dunno, maybe it's actually ideal + realistic.
Very good! More detail on the composition please. I imagine they are earthenware, since it is too early for porcelain; but what makes the lovely green glaze?
This timeperiod was not too early for porcelain. Porcelain was invented in ancient China and existed during the Han Dynasty. Proto-porcelain was around since the Shang Dynasty, while the first true porcelain was invented during the Han Dynasty.
@@christianfrommuslim Indeed it's not necessary to link the glaze with porcelain. In the early history of China, something like 'glazed earthenware' is very popular. The development of glaze is earlier than porcelain.
I love the little duckies! 🥰 I now know what mingqi means, though I doubt I'll retain that information long. There is a difficult practical consideration here... I'm hoping the deceased person had some input on the design of these objects before they were created, but even if they did, there's no takesies backsies once they're ready for use! How do you go about quality assurance under those conditions? 😱
One thing that is said to have happened during the Eastern Han -dynasty is that afterlife also became more permanent, from the emperors to the common people. Before, during the Western Han, the spirits of the dead could only survive if the living kept up ceremonial services for them, and even for most of the emperors these were carri on only until the fourth generation after their death and then ended. With bulk of the population, only the most important clan ancestors would also have received services beyond the immediate few generations after their death. But during the Eastern Han an idea of a permament afterlive open to all seems to have spread and led to more spending on things for the afterlive among those who could afford it.
Always love when you post. I’d happily consume longer form videos, because they are so fascinating and informative. (Hint hint hint).
We do have a longer (for us) video coming in the next week or so.
Fascinating video. Keep it up
The level of details is incredible! Amazing work and very interesting information. Thanks for sharing
I wish this video had provided a little more background: a few hundred years prior to the Han Dynasty, extremely wealthy Chinese would pay for servants who were buried with their dead. This was controversial even in their day. Less wealthy families buried terra cotta dolls of these servants instead--a practice which, as the video shows very briefly, culminated in the First Emperor's Terra Cotta Army. Some philosophers saw the practice of burying clay dolls of servants as more humane than burying live servants, while other philosophers opined that burying live servants was so barbaric that its memory deserved to be canceled rather than perpetuate symbolically by the dolls.
One can still see last vestiges of this practice: in the 20th century, families would buy paper models of furniture, houses, appliances, even Mercedes, that are buried or burned graveside for the use of ancestors in the afterlife. San Francisco Chinatown still has one store that sells these paper models for the ancestors' posthumous pleasures.
Can you elaborate more about the debates between burying live servants & replacing with dolls? If I read correctly you said that the pros of "live servants were barbaric that their memories deserved to be erased rather than with dolls clay" (if that's how I read right). Were there even some other controversial discussions back then such as the practice of human sacrifice (which if I remembered right it's mentioned on Princess Ping's burial ceremony to commemorate her).
It is so amazing that they even put the little Dougong in the little watchtower!
I like the idea of building miniature villages for lost souls to find respite. So cool. :)
Cool, yes. Archeologically helpful, yes. A guarantee of happy after life? No
Idealy, this burial arts make me realize how emotional, emphatizing, & loving kindness can be to bury someone that you're so close & still caring them even when they're now "in different world from yours" (abit similar when parents give packs to their gonna be oversea abroad kids). It feels like that "my love wants to still on the way with you even when death still seperates us all"..........
Stop scrolling coz this part may ruin the previous mood.
I don't wanna sound bad but....
I hope I don't sound cynical
if you read this part
Are you ready?
Realisticly though, it's abit mix between "just another regular ceremonial monday + for political acceptances + showing off my extravagant status + one of my good list to look good".
But I dunno, maybe it's actually ideal + realistic.
These artifact explainers are great.
Very good! More detail on the composition please. I imagine they are earthenware, since it is too early for porcelain; but what makes the lovely green glaze?
This timeperiod was not too early for porcelain. Porcelain was invented in ancient China and existed during the Han Dynasty. Proto-porcelain was around since the Shang Dynasty, while the first true porcelain was invented during the Han Dynasty.
@@Intranetusa Do you know about the green glaze?
@@christianfrommuslim Indeed it's not necessary to link the glaze with porcelain. In the early history of China, something like 'glazed earthenware' is very popular. The development of glaze is earlier than porcelain.
I love the little duckies! 🥰
I now know what mingqi means, though I doubt I'll retain that information long.
There is a difficult practical consideration here... I'm hoping the deceased person had some input on the design of these objects before they were created, but even if they did, there's no takesies backsies once they're ready for use! How do you go about quality assurance under those conditions? 😱
I loved the explanation! But didn't understand where did they keep the dead body in this whole set.
These objects would occupy the tomb with the body. They weren't containers for the body.