School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Research Publications
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ItemLost Visual Histories: China’s Tang dynasty (618-906) tomb mural paintings(International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), 2018)China’s Tang dynasty (618-907) tomb mural paintings are rare finds and study of them has grown since the first archaeological discoveries and excavations in the early 1950s. Although thousands of minor Tang graves and about 400 tombs have been discovered, so far only around 60 Tang tombs have been found to contain mural paintings. While many questions are still to be answered, each new discovery contributes to knowledge in this important field.
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ItemReview of, Modeling Peace: Royal Tombs and Political Ideology in Early China by Jie Shi(University of Hawai'i Press, 2019)
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ItemThe Triple Helix of Tang Dynasty Mural Painting Study: Art History, Archaeology and Materials Conservation(The Commercial Press (HK), 2017)Deep understanding of Tang Dynasty tomb mural painting can only be achieved through multi-disciplinary study using a ‘triple helix’ approach combining archaeology, materials conservation and art history. Cooperation between these three professions and their particular disciplinary perspectives can provide comprehensive insight into the mural paintings and reflect their original state as the combined product of patrons, artists, architects and engineers. This paper discusses how a triple helix approach may answer some of the more challenging questions about the murals, including the identity of the painters, workshop practices, methods of production and painting techniques, and shed light on the lost corpus of above ground Tang Dynasty mural paintings.
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ItemThe Qin Emperor’s Army with Feet of Clay(National Gallery of Victoria, 2019)Direct evidence revealed through new archaeological discoveries at Qin Shihuang's mausoleum site changes and improves our understanding of the history and culture of the Qin dynasty and First Emperor of China.
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ItemThe Qin and Han Empires: Creating a Dynasty(Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, 2019-08)Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality showcases these extraordinary Qin dynasty objects, along with priceless gold, jade and bronze artefacts dating from the Zhou dynasty through to the Han dynasty.With written contributions from ...
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ItemCharacterization of a Mahamayuri Vidyarajni Sutra excavated in Lu’an, China(Springer, 2019-12-01)Historically, sutras played an important role in spreading Buddhist faith and doctrine, and today these remain important records of Buddhist thought and culture. A Mahamayuri Vidyarajni Sutra with polychrome paintings was found inside the cavity on top of the Nanmen Buddhist pagoda, built in the early Tang dynasty (618–627 CE) and located in Anhui Province, China. Textile was found on the preface which is strongly degraded and fragile. Unfortunately, the whole sutra is under severe degradation and is incomplete. Technical analysis based on scientific methods will benefits the conservation of the sutra. Optical microscopy (OM), micro-Raman spectroscopy combined with optical microscope (Raman), scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the pigment and gilded material, as well as the paper fiber and textile. Pigments such as cinnabar, minium, paratacamite, azurite, lead white were found. Gilded material was identified as gold. A five-heddle warp satin, made of silk, was found as the textile on the preface of the sutra. The sutra’s preface and inner pages were made of paper comprised of bamboo and bark. As a magnificent yet recondite treasure of Buddhism, the sutra was analyzed for a better understanding of the material. A conservation project of the sutra will be scheduled accordingly.
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ItemThe development of conservation practices in China from the 1980s to the present(Taylor & Francis, 2016)This article reviews cultural materials conservation in China from its foundations in the early 1950s when traditional craftsmanship and workshop techniques were practised, through its growth in the 1980s to the present day as a prestigious profession at the leading edge of multidisciplinary science. Its historical evolution is delineated into four phases: traditional, post-revolution, post-1980 and contemporary cultural materials conservation. The current situation of the conservation profession in China is discussed in terms of regulation, organisation, education, cooperation, current challenges and future opportunities.
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ItemChina's lost mural paintings: Australia-China Conservation research to rediscover ancient art(The Asian Arts Society Australia, 2016-12-01)