East Asian Art History - Essay Example

Modern society has embraced the art of mask. Research has been done on it and a wide range of uses found. China has become a hub of this art. Masks are a cultural event celebrated all over China nowadays (Scott, 2009). To some Chinese communities these masks have become a form of god. They are worshipped because of their uniqueness and awesome appearance. They are seen as a means of communication between people and gods. They have been used as a means to seek for blessings from gods. They are also used to protect people from evil spirits.

They are believed to be a form of charm in many Chinese communities. They symbolize holiness and godliness. In modern days, there are many cultural festivals involving masks that are held (Desai, 2007). People wearing masks are seen dancing and celebrating along the streets. The first mask in this art is called ‘Funerary Mask of a Young Woman’. This mask is from Liao Dynasty (907 – 1125), Northern China. Quran community founded Liao Dynasty. This community was the minority in Chinese population around 10th century in North of China (Scott, 2009).

The majority of Chinese population was called the Han Chinese. They had a widespread culture. This was of high quality in all areas. Some of the areas it produced quality art work include writing, painting, and ruling among others. This community tended to ignore other communities especially the nomads. Nomads like Quran or Ruzhens always changed their location from time to time. It was difficult to develop and establish a good economic and cultural lifestyle. Despite this, the Liao Dynasty managed to develop a culture to some extent.

They came up with the mask. Its surface is covered with gold. Gold is a very expensive and luxurious material to date. During that time, it was even more valuable. People that were buried in gold were considered to be very rich or belong to a very high status in the society (Scott, 2009). At the bottom of the mask, a neck