Taotie: The Four Essence Beasts Of Ancient Chinese Women

There are many similarities and differences between the women living in Rome and Han China during 753 B.C.E. to 330 C.E. In both societies; women were property to the male figure of the household whether that be their father or husband. Obviously equality was not a concept in neither Ancient Rome or Han China. In Rome, women played no public role whatsoever, but in Han China, women engaged in various professions in and outside of the home. Another important difference between these two places is that under no circumstances were the Roman women allowed to obtain political power, while, in Han China, women were given power. Regarding Ancient Rome, most of the information stated in this essay pertains to the women in the upper classes.

Women in ancient Rome and China were very different but quite similar as for as their treatment and roles were concerned. In both cultures they were under the protection of their fathers until they married. When they married they were to stay home and be wives, they were not formally educated and learned to manage their households. They were not allowed to disgrace their families in any way and were inferior to men from the moment of birth. Chinese women whether from a noble or a poor family could not escape oppression, but it was somewhat easier for the women from Noble families. (8) Comparing the women of Ancient Rome (750BC – AD500) and the women of China (350BC – AD600), from the roles they played in

The most influential minds in the Chinese mental tradition vaunt under the Zhou, particularly towards the last period of the Zhou Dynasty, considered a repetition of intellectual and artistic awakening. Many of the ideas developed by figures copy Laozi, Confucius, Mencius and Mozi, who all lived during the Eastern Zhou duration, would suit the character of Chinese civilization up to the bestow day.

The empires of Rome and China were very great ones, they both had many similarities and differences in the way they ran their empires. One major difference was the way they treated their women. Both Chinese and Roman women were unequal in social status than the men of the empires were, but they were definitely treated different in both empires. Women of China were treated quite harshly and were expected to take orders at all times by their husbands, and were to serve them always. This started to happen especially after Confucius died because he taught people to treat each other the same, “after his death women became less free and lost status,”(Arvind 10). Women of Rome were treated like goddesses; they were to stay at home as housewives

The Tang and Song dynasties are regarded as the Golden Age of Chinese history for its revamped and complex political system, a massive boom in economy and production, and an influx of various religions that made it a diverse time period. This turn in Chinese history was made possible by the switch from subsistence farming, in which people farmed only as much as they needed, to a more industrial farming, where they produced for the whole state. This allowed certain people to specialize in certain topics. Rather than needing to be hunters, farmers, and warriors all by themselves, people would specialize in hunting, farming, or fighting. This allowed for a boom in skill; in the modern world, a person who learned about fluid mechanics would be

Ritual Bronzes gained in popularity and importance during the Shang and Zhou dynasties (which became known as the Bronze Age in China), when bronze technology and metalworking became more complex. Bronze cups and other vessels were used for ritual sacrifices and ceremonies. Ritual bronzes during the Shang dynasty grew more intricate and larger. During the Zhou dynasty, the taotie (animal mask) motifs that were so prevalent during the Shang dynasty faded in favor of other decorations such as spikes. Ritual bronzes also came to be used to store texts and to be passed down to later

The artist who created the piece titled Plate With Quetzalcóatl Deity was either male or female, we don’t know exactly, but we do know that the plate was made around 1200-1400 and they were from the Mixtec culture that included the regions of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Ouebla, Mexico.1 Furthermore knowing the artists’ culture we have a better understanding of the significance of the representation of the Quetzalcóatl (feathered serpent) on this three-dimensional plate. Onward, the plate itself seems to be 10 inches wide and symmetrical. Also, the feathered god covers the whole diameter of the plate. Even though it’s called a plate, we can speculate that this wasn’t a traditional plate for food, but rather than a plate to show sacredness of the mighty god. To illustrate this sacredness, the artist’s palate of colors that they chose is red, brown and white.

In the book of Wild Swans: Three daughter of China by Jung Chang tells about the experiences of the life of Chang’s Mother, Grandmother, and Chang herself. The book starts off with Chang’s Grandmother Yu-fang. She was forced to be a concubine for a warlord general at a young age. She eventually escapes with her child after marrying a wealthy doctor, she continue to raise her child even rejected by her husband’s family. De-hong a happy girl who grew up normal until she start getting into politics. De- hong joined the Kuomintang party until the communist beat them. She then married Wang, an officer in the army, and they both began working for the Communist party where they are prosecuted for their affiliation and sent to detention camp. Chang is born in the middle of this political turmoil, she grew up through many of the hardship of China. The role of women and family in society was important and it changes throughout the story of each woman. The time of Chang 's great-grandfather “following the custom, my great-grandfather was married young, at the fourteen, to a woman six years his senior. It was considered one of the duties of a wife to help bring up her husband.”(Chang, Jung. ""THREE-INCH GOLDEN LILIES"" In Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, 2. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.) Therefore in the lives of the three woman it will tell us about the role of women and family in the society .

During the Postclassical era, which spanned from 500 and 1450 C.E, the roles of women in China and Japan experienced change, as well as continuity. China and Japan both experienced several stages of change, from arranged marriages and not being allowed to participate in government, to more freedom in marriage and property rights and becoming priestess and empresses. Continuities in this time included a strict patriarchal society and practices such as foot binding that remained throughout an entire dynasty. China displayed continuity as well as change between 500 C.E. – 1450 C.E. A patriarchal society (the order of society with Men higher than women, and Fathers higher than sons) continued, and had a heavy connotation with Confucianism.

For thousands of years ancestors of ancient China have watched over people. They would protect them and watch over them providing that they pray. People of ancient China used a shrine. The shrine was used to honor the ancestors and ask for luck to come when needed. People of china believed there doors had to face south. They believed that the doors facing south brought good fortune and not misfortune. There are many ancient traditions in china for example Yan-Yat, Yan-Yat is the 7th day after chinese

Yuan Zhao was a Daoist healer in ancient China [471-99] who used his knowledge of the five phases to diagnose and cure a young girl of evil demons that had made her sick after numerous other Chinese healers were unable to even understand the source of her afflictions, which is meant to spread Daoism as much as tell a story. The story is a good example of ancient Chinese medical practices but to fully understand how the different elements of his story fit together it is helpful to have information on the five phases.

The serpent figure painted around the entirety of the bowl represents Avanyu, or “water serpent.” In Pueblo folklore, Avanyu is a serpent deity which creates lightening with the flick of its tongue,

Lessons for Women is a book of conduct written during the Han Dynasty by Ban Zhao (C. 45-120) to advise the women of her family on the proper conduct of a wife. Ancient China around this time was a Confucian state in which the society was control by the belief in order and harmony. The book contains seven chapters that talks about: humility, husband and wife, respect and caution, womanly qualifications, wholehearted devotion, implicit obedience, and harmony with younger brothers- and sisters- in law. This work of literature reflects on how a proper women was to behave obediently to the husband, by being devoted and respectful to avoid humility to herself, her parents and her clan. It gives the readers an idea of the power that men had over women during this time period and the exceptions for both roles of husband and wife. Lessons of women informs the readers that women during the Han Dynasty had no control over their own lives and the philosophy of Confucian had a huge influence on the society’s everyday life. Ban Zhao emphasizes the importance of distinctions between men and women, and their separate natures.

The courtesan thrived within a complex atmosphere of social connection and exchanges that involved not only with the high ranked members of China’s literary, military and the literati or Confucian gentlemen, scholar-officials, military commanders, but also the wealthy merchants as well as the ruling class “gentlewomen” and other courtesans within the same field. For the occupation of courtesan, this characteristic takes the form of “dirty work”. What is a courtesan’s dirty work and how does the role of a courtesan have impact in the Ming dynasty china? That is to say, what part of a courtesan’s lifestyle was integral to their success in the occupation that has given them a higher class titles from the lower class prostitutes. This paper argues that courtesan’s “dirty work” was a way of leisure, along with a set of services was part of the occupation to provided the upper-class and wealthy clientele the need of accompany and entertainment.

Ancient history has proven that the basic structure of humanity and society has practically remained unchanged. There were civilizations, business and trade, currency systems, and various religions. Most importantly, there have always been governments and the written law. Regardless of the time period, societies have always needed boundaries and structure in order to survive. Without this structure, chaos would overtake and living harmoniously would be next to impossible. However, the laws of some lands weren’t as evolved as they are in modern times. Most regions on the earth now consider men and women equal and to one another and each bears the same rights. In centuries past, this was not the case; women