Chinese art, or yishu, has varied in form and content throughout its ancient history, and can be divided into different dynastic periods and by the tools used to create it. Different forms of art have been heavily influenced by China's long history of great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders.
Early forms of art in China centered on pottery and jade in the Neolithic period, to which was added bronze in the Shang Dynasty. In early Imperial China, porcelain was introduced and refined to a point that in English the word "china" became synonymous with high-quality porcelain.
Around the 1st century AD, Buddhism arrived in China, though it did not become popular until the 4th century. At this point, Chinese Buddhist art began flourishing, a process that continued through the 20th century. It was during the period that calligraphy and painting became highly appreciated arts in court circles of Imperial China, with a great deal of work done on silk well after the invention of paper.
In the Song dynasty, paintings of more subtle expression appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain contours which conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. It was during this period that in painting, emphasis was placed on spiritual rather than emotional elements of the artist's surroundings. Late imperial China was marked by two specific dynasties: Ming and Qing. When it came to traditional paintings, however, the Ming dynasty is the more important of the two. The reason being is that artists during the Ming dynasty perfected color painting and color printing, with a wider color range and busier compositions than Song paintings. This marked a huge development in the traditional style of painting. The Qing dynasty did contribute to another form of Chinese art by introducing the extremely well known Beijing Opera. The Beijing Opera or beiju is known as one of China's national treasures and has been celebrated as a colorful representation of China's unique artistic history. Operas continue in popularity today as many local areas have adapted this form to local dialects, customs, and stories.
Chinese contemporary art has also grown in recent years along with the rest of the modern art world. Sotheby's and other major auctionhouses have opened Asian contemporary art departments and Chinese contemporary art in particular has proven a solid investment during the recession. At the turn of the 21st century, China and its artists began exerting their global influence by mixing traditional Chinese themes with a modern perspective and technique.