Summary of an Artistic Experience, Essay Example

Entering the “Warriors, Tombs, and Temples” exhibit at the Bowers Museum was like travelling back in time to another world.  The exhibit, which runs until March 4, 2012, displays art, sculpture, and other items from China’s Han, Tang, and Qin dynasties.  According to the literature provided at the museum, many of these items were recently discovered when archeologists unearthed the Qin-era Imperial tomb of the leader Qin Shihaungdi.  Part of the exhibit was a collection of miniature carved soldiers which were originally used to guard the tombs of Chinese royalty and a carved box which reportedly held one of the finger bones of the Buddah, making it an object of sacred significance.  I found it fascinating to look at all the different objects that important people of this era were buried with, such as almost life-size clay horses and sculptures of various warriors that were meant to protect Chinese royalty on their journey to the afterlife.

I thought that the exhibit was laid out very well in a large space that didn’t feel overcrowded, despite the large number of objects on display.  The museum provided headsets that you could wear while you were following a tour route to act as a guide to the objects.  I didn’t rent a headset as I wanted to observe the exhibit without the distraction of additional commentary.  I found the available literature and the signs beside each object to be adequate for providing me with some context and information about what I was looking at.  There were a lot of people visiting when I attended the exhibit, many of them school groups of young (and noisy) children.  I’m glad that kids get a chance to experience history in such a concrete and tangible way, however, I did find them a little distracting. So many of the objects are sacred and carry the huge weight of the past within them, which seems to call for a little contemplation on the part of the museum’s visitors.  I felt almost like I was visiting a Cathedral or a shrine, and so it was somewhat irritating to have to push past little kids who seemed more interested in talking to their friends than in experiencing what history has to offer.

One of my favorite objects was the sculpture of a female pig which was meant to represent the daily life of peasants during the Han Dynasty (141 B.C.E). According to the sign at the museum, the fact that the pig looked healthy and well-fed was meant to demonstrate prosperity in agriculture in the region. It’s quite significant, according to historians, because there isn’t a lot of information available about peasant life during this time period.  The pig, along with other animal figures, are supposed to indicate that Emperor Jingdi (whose tomb the animals were found in) was responsible for a peaceful and stable agricultural economy.  Prior to visiting the exhibit, I had no real understanding of ancient Chinese art.  If asked, I would have said that it would probably be rudimentary and primitive. However, the level of artistic skill and detail in the pig (and the other objects) illustrates to me that the people of this period possessed great artistic abilities.

The exhibit at the Bowers Museum taught me that archaeology is about more than digging up old bones, and can actually provide us with a vibrant window on the past through which historians, scholars, and the general public can piece together clues about what it was like to live during these specific dynasties.  The exhibit also had a great deal to say about the religious traditions of the elite during the Han, Tang, and Qin dynasties in relation to their beliefs about the afterlife.  I’m glad I went to the museum, and I intend to go back again, preferably on a day when there won’t be so many school groups in attendance.