Ming dynasty

Refers to the culture, period, and styles associated with the Ming dynasty in China dating from 1368 to 1644. The Ming routed the foreign Yuan rulers and produced among the most expansive and defining works of Imperial China including the Forbidden City in Beijing. Neo-Confucianism defined much of the art and architecture through the court sponsored Imperial Academy though individual scholars, often retired courtiers, asserted their interest in self-cultivation often drawing from art of the past.