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tang song Show _ Tell

Page history last edited by Amanda (Venezia) Weklar 12 years, 12 months ago

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Show and Tell Directions

 

Guest: Emperor Taizu of Song (Host)

Item Brought: The astronomical clock tower built during the Song Dynasty.

Description: The astronomical clock was built for the clock-tower of Kaifeng City. It is noted for having incorporated an escapement mechanism and earliest known endless power-transmitting chain drive for his clock-tower and armillary sphere to function.

Relation to Guest: The clock tower demonstrates Emperor Taizu’s support of science and technological innovations.

 

Guest: Writer Li Qingzhao of Song

Item Brought:

Jin shi lu.

Description:

Publication of Chinese Poetry from right after 1129.

Relation to Guest: The invitee chose to bring this item so that she would have something to talk about with the fellow writers invitees.

 

Guest: Empress Wu Zetian of Tang/Zhou Dynasty

Item Brought: an iron whip, an iron hammer, and a sharp dagger

 

Description:

Emperor Taizong had a horse with the name "Lion Stallion", and it was so large and strong that no one could get on its back. I was a lady in waiting attending Emperor Taizong, and I suggested to him, "I only need three things to subordinate it: an iron whip, an iron hammer, and a sharp dagger. I will whip it with the iron whip. If it does not submit, I will hammer its head with the iron hammer. If it still does not submit, I will cut its throat with the dagger." Emperor Taizong praised my bravery. Do you really believe that you are qualified to dirty my dagger?

Relation to Guest: Empress Wu liked to be in charge, especially of other powerful men. She brought these items to eliminate the other females, and intimidate the male invitees.

 

Guest: writer Li Bai of Tang Dynasty

Item Brought: The only surviving calligraphy in Li Bai’s own handwriting. A love poem celebrating alcohol.

Description: The poem demonstrates his use of persona, the fantastic extremes of some of his imagery, his violations of formal poetic rules – and his ability to combine all of these with a seeming effortless virtuosity in order to produce inimitable poetry.

Relation to Guest: He brought this poem because he was hoping it would win over Empress Wu because he has a thing for concubines, or Li Qingzhoa because he also has a thing for fellow writers and poets. (Side note: Due to his championship of drunkenness together with his wandering life-style, Li Bai's poetry has been criticized on moral grounds.)

 

Guest: Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty

Item Brought:

  1. A mural painting of Emperor Taizong

  2. A book about him called The Novel of the Prince of Qin of the Great Tang

Description:

  1. A mural painting of Emperor Taizong (located bottom, center) dated to 642 AD, located in Cave 220, Dunhuang, Gansu province.

  2. Emperor Taizong was the subject of a 64-chapter (in eight volumes) The Novel of the Prince of Qin of the Great Tang (大唐秦王詞話 Datang Qin Wang Cihua) by Zhu Shenglin of the Ming Dynasty.

Relation to Guest: Emperor Taizong brought these two items to demonstrate that he was relevant, and despite his being dead, he made a lasting impact on China.

 

 

 

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