The Self-Representation of tomb builders in East China, 1st to 3rd Century CE

ABSTRACT

Along with merchants, craftsmen occupied the two lowest socioeconomic positions among the four peoples, the scholars, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants in early Chinese society. However, in some Eastern Han (25–220 CE) tombs in Shandong in East China, some deities were depicted with the tools used by tomb builders, suggesting that the tomb builders were consciously establishing a link between their careers and the creators of the world. Such a phenomenon was confined to a relatively short period and limited area. This research explores how the tomb builders represented themselves and the driving forces behind these representations.

KEYWORDS:

• Tomb builders
• East China
• self-representation
• Eastern Han
• lantern ceiling

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. English translation after Major (1993, 70).

2. English translation after Legge (1962, I 256).

3. English translation after Watson (1967, 83).

4. English translation consulted Wu (1995, 239), with modification by the author.

5. The relationship between hiring expensive carvers and exhibiting filial piety is discussed by Wu Hung. See Wu (1995, 195–199).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the The National Social Science Foundation of China [19CF180].

Notes on contributors

Xuan Chen

Xuan Chen, DPhil Oxon., is an assistant professor at the School of Arts, Peking University, Beijing, China. Her main research interests are art and archaeology of Han China, structures and pictorial carvings of Chinese tombs, as well as communications of material culture between China and Inner Asia.