Colors in East Asian Civilizations: Concept, Materiality, and Art

Session Submission Type: Organized Panel

Abstract

Color played a critical role in traditional East Asian societies. Derived from vegetables and minerals, colors signified cosmological concepts, represented rank, and could imply higher knowledge of the material world. The recent publication, Color in Ancient and Medieval East Asia (Yale University Press, 2015) has brought to light the importance of color in East Asia. This trans-border panel builds on this initial investigation and explores the linguistic, artistic, ritual, cultural and social functions of specific colors in pre-Qin China, early imperial China and medieval Japan. The panel has a unique format designed to inspire the interdisciplinary study of color. It features two discussants—a chemist and an art historian—in addition to three presenters from Asia, Europe and North America who specialize in art, archeology, history and cultural studies.
Wu addresses the cultural history of different shades of red by examining the interconnection between materiality of color environment and symbolism of color language in pre-imperial China. Miller analyzes the production of synthetic blue and purple during China’s Western Han dynasty, highlighting the significance of these artificial pigments in world art history and the symbolic role of blue and purple in the early Han kingdoms. Nakai challenges current notions of the meaning of white garments in Heian Japan by exploring the color’s seasonal associations and its use in distinguishing public and private spheres; she also revisits whether white robes were indigenous to Japan by investigating their contemporary use in Song China and Joseon Korea.

Area of Study

• Interarea-Border Crossing

Session Organizer

• Wei Wu, University of Oslo

Chair

• Ikumi Kaminishi, Tufts University

Individual Presentations

• A Cultural History of Redness in Chinese Civilization – The Origins: From the Neolithic up to Qin - Wei Wu, University of Oslo

• Synthetic Blue and Purple in Early Han Royal Court Painting - Allison Miller, Southwestern University

• White Robes at the Heian Japanese Court - Maki Nakai, Waseda University

Discussants

• Ikumi Kaminishi, Tufts University

• Richard Laursen, Boston University