Chinese Painting is divided into three genres(流派) -
figures, landscapes, and birds-and-flowers and each type has its distinctive characteristics. In addition, difficult skills are required to the painters of Chinese painting. The tools used in traditional Chinese painting are paintbrush(毛笔), ink, traditional paint and special paper or silk.
A basin with the pattern of
human face and fish, Neolithic Age
a pottery from
Yangshao Culture
As time passed, the technique became more and more consummate(至上的 ). Different kinds of pottery appeared in different times and regions. Yangshao Culture, 5,000 - 7,000 years ago to today, developed a technique for painted pottery. Qujialing Culture and Longshan Culture, dating back about 4,000 years ago, were known for their black pottery. During the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) bronze vessels grew into somewhat(几分) of a status symbol(社会地位象征) ; common people, though, still used traditional clay pottery. Workshops of grey and white potters took the artistic features of bronze wares(商品) and decorated their articles ornately.