Tending the Afterlife: Chinese Tomb Art From the Neolithic Period to the Ming Dynasty March 1, 2009

Covering almost six millennia of Chinese visual culture from the Neolithic period (c. 10,000 B.C.-c.1600 B.C.)to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) these objects represent the artistic creativity and technical virtuosity achieved by the Chinese artisans. Being included in tombs as burial furnishings, these objects would ensure that, in another world, the soul of the deceased could continue to possess the wealth, power and religious tranquility enjoyed in his or her previous life.