1662-1722
Vase
Artist/maker unknownThis vase depicts the Sui dynasty emperor Yangdi aboard his dragon boat. Yangdi, who ruled from 604 to around 618, sponsored the building of China’s Grand Canal, which linked the populous north with the fertile south.
The scene here might be a comment on the excesses of rulership and power: Yangdi’s enormous project entailed the conscription of more than two million people. Not surprisingly, his rule ended with a revolution.
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