The earliest Chinese sculptures were small figures placed in tombs. From the Shang dynasty through the Zhou dynasty (c. 1122-256 B.C.), sculptors created chiefly bronze and jade works. Shang and Zhou artists used bronze to make elaborate sacrificial vessels used in ceremonies for the dead. These works were cast in molds, and most had complicated designs based on animal forms. .
In 1974, thousands of clay figures of people and horses were discovered near Xi'an in burial pits near the tomb of Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. These figures, which are the earliest known life-sized Chinese sculptures, date from the 200's B.C. .
Buddhism reached China from India during the Han period. Sculptors then began to turn their skills to the service of this new religion. Temples were built in or near cities. In rural areas, cliffsides were hollowed out to form elaborate chapels. Sculptors decorated the chapels with figures of Buddha and his attendants. Some sculptures were carved from local stone. Others were molded of clay and painted. Still other sculptures were cast of bronze and coated with gold. As artistic expressions of religious faith, these works rival the finest sculptures in the monasteries and cathedrals of Europe. .
The Chinese have made pottery since prehistoric times. They began to use the potter's wheel before 2000 B.C. and produced glazed pottery as early as the 1300's B.C. During the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907), the Chinese developed the world's first porcelain. Porcelain dishes and vases produced during the Tang and Song dynasties, and during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and the early part of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) are among the greatest treasures of Chinese art. .
The origins of Chinese pottery and porcelain go back to distant antiquity. And from the masterful excellence of Chinese ceramics, we can deduce the painstaking labor that went into making them. In the National Palace Museum in Taipei, you will find many outstanding examples of nearly translucent eggshell china.