Happy 2025! 新年快乐!
静夜思 Renowned Tang poet Li Bai gazing at the moon
Art: 白人阿又
I want to expressly thank you to all for your continued interest and your support. 2024 has been a trying year- with FB's algorithmic strike down of Dragon's Armory's Page and other challenges in life. But having gotten a taste of your raw interest in Chinese culture and history really made me confident that we can replicate that good magic together again. Moving forward I will try to balance future articles between the long and laborious and the short and easily digestible. I intersperse them more evenly so those who came for the long and short will both be satisfied and find what they are looking for here.
Poet Li Bai
A quick heads up of the upcoming articles: I am close to wrap up a focused chapter on Yue Fei, and with its publication there will be enough for several anecdotal articles about units of that era and the various enemies Yue contended with in his warpath north. The coverage of the Warring States era is also heating up as we are near the end game of that chaotic era. Please stay tuned, and thank you- truly- for all your diligent attention and continued support!
Western Han dynasty lady on chariot
Tang dynasty girl
Han era headpiece- strong Central Asian influence
Warring States era nobleman/ soverign
Mongol lady
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Poet Li Bai
Han dynasty official
Lady of the Wu Zhou era- young Wu Zetian
Empress Wu Zetian
➢ ☯ Futsunomitama
➢ ☯ MK Celahir
➢ ☯ Muramasa
➢ ☯ Thomas Vieira
➢ ☯ Vincent Ho (FerrumFlos1st)
➢ ☯ BurenErdene Altankhuyag
➢ ☯ Stephen D Rynerson
➢ ☯ Peter Hellman
➢ ☯ SunB
Poet Li Bai
Comments
Yes, that influence did stay around via the Silk Road, and with the example of Eurasian empires that straddled east and west like the Mongol Empire both sides were able to through exchange and osmosis have exposure to the artistry of the other side.
I also covered another brief article on an Ottoman miniature that was influenced by a Ming dynasty painting.
https://dragonsarmory.blogspot.com/2019/08/ottoman-miniature-depicting-man-dressed.html
Really interesting times.
Cheers.
I look forward to more articles this year, especially the Warring States Period.
Will there be more articles about the military aspects of ancient China? Everything from recruitment, to strategy and tactics, unit composition, and logistics. Specifically I am very curious about the new merit based military system instituted by Lord Shang Yang in Qin, especially his system of rewards for heads acquired in battle and systems of punishment including decimation of units for cowardice. How did this 18 Rank System work in real life? One head, one rank, is that for real you think? Were there professional and conscripted units?, etc, etc.
Yes, I will try to do more about Zhou and ancient China, in fact I'm currently doing one that elaborates more on the major phases of the Shang dynasty atm (early expansion, itinerary courts, royal clan, and later Shang that is entrenched at Yin etc. I could do more on Warring State society's aspect too, similar to my Shi- article, though it's further down the horizon.
@Kol
I'd be very interested in covering Western Zhou, and will try to look up the 2 book you recommended. Would be interesting to read if I have some free time and compile them in a chapter some future day.