During the Yuan dynasty, China became a part of the Mongol empire.
1271–1368
Beginner's Guide
What is the Yuan dynasty?
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Portrait of Chabi
Portrait of Chabi is a glimpse into the crucial role played by court dress in the consolidation of Mongol rule across Eurasia.
Wang Mian, Plum Blossoms in Ink
Painting and poetry among friends during Mongol rule in Yuan dynasty China
Attributed to Cheng Qi, Tilling Rice, after Lou Shou
This handscroll is almost thirty-five feet long and illustrates the twenty-one steps of producing rice.
Wu Zhen, Fishermen, after Jing Hao
Scholar hermits as fishermen boating on a river is one of Wu’s favorite painting themes.
Ni Zan, A branch of bamboo
Bamboo is a very popular subject in Chinese painting, especially among scholar-artists like Ni Zan
Zhao Mengfu, Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains, 1295
Zhao’s opened up artistic possibilities for the Four Yuan Masters, and literati painters in subsequent centuries.
Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), an introduction
Despite the short duration of the Yuan dynasty, it was an extremely vital period in the arts.
Caterina Vilioni’s tomb in Yangzhou
A tombstone belonging to an Italian merchant's daughter found in Yangzhou reveals the social and religious plurality of Yuan China
Xie Chufang, Fascination of Nature, handscroll
A rare Yuan dynasty painting shows animals and insects feeding off each other.
Qian Xuan, Young nobleman on horseback, handscroll
A literati painter, Qian painted landscapes, historical figures and flowers.
Zheng Sixiao, Ink Orchid
Zheng’s precise calligraphic strokes lend vitality and movement to these delicate flowers. But are they rootless?
The David Vases
Dragons! Elephants! A phoenix! Many motifs cover these tall vases, but it’s the inscriptions that date the pair.
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