In his classic study of the cultural history of Han China, Michael Loewe uses both archaeological discoveries and written records to sketch the conceptual background of various artifacts of the Han period, and shows how ancient Chinese thought is as much informed by mythology as it is dependent on reason.
Originally published as Chinese Ideas of Life and Death: Faith, Myth and Reason in the Han Period (202 BC-AD 220), this edition includes a new Preface that discusses relevant discoveries made since the first publication and an updated list of other works on relevant topics.
In his classic study of the cultural history of Han China, Michael Loewe uses both archaeological discoveries and written records to sketch the con...
The "Wu Family Shrines" pictorial carvings from Han dynasty China (206 BCE-220 CE) are among the earliest works of Chinese art examined in an international arena. Since the eleventh century, the carvings have been identified by scholars as one of the most valuable and authentic materials for the study of antiquity. This important book presents essays by archaeologists, art and architectural historians, curators, and historians that reexamine the carvings, adding to our understanding of the long cultural history behind them and to our knowledge of Han practices. The authors offer a...
The "Wu Family Shrines" pictorial carvings from Han dynasty China (206 BCE-220 CE) are among the earliest works of Chinese art examined in an internat...
Intellectual developments of the Western Han dynasty (202 BCE - 9 CE) have been studied hitherto on the assumptions that a system described as 'Confucianism' acquired paramount importance and that Dong Zhongshu (ca. 198 to ca. 107 BCE) had been responsible for formulating its principles. In challenging these assumptions, this book examines Dong' career and reputation, and his supposed authorship of the Chunqiu fanlu, for long subject to question. It is concluded that while some parts of that text may well represent the teachings that Dong Zhongshu promoted, some may perhaps date from...
Intellectual developments of the Western Han dynasty (202 BCE - 9 CE) have been studied hitherto on the assumptions that a system described as 'Confuc...
Much is known of life during the Han Empire, but the historical evidence remains fragmentary, and nowhere do we find a continuous account of the life of any one individual.
In this engaging volume, Michael Loewe mines the written and material records to depict the imagined life of an ordinary person, Bing Wu, from the hardships of his earliest years on a rural farm to his retirement from a respected position in government service. Underlying the tale of Bing is a richly detailed portrait of life during the Han--the arduous tasks of the conscript laborer; military service on the defense...
Much is known of life during the Han Empire, but the historical evidence remains fragmentary, and nowhere do we find a continuous account of the li...
