The goal of my research has always been to answer questions: Why was that made? Who made it? How was it made? For what purpose? As an educator, I know that my primary role is to take these smaller questions and wrap them in more complex theoretical constructs. Yet while the questions are limitless, the answers are finite. Historical evidence of a textual or material sort simply does not exist to supply them. I have reached the end of my digging on questions related to Baodingshan even though undoubtedly more answers may yet be found. To that end, I am sharing here my entire body of work related to the site. Begun in 1993, this encompasses 20+ years of research, writing, and presenting on Baodingshan. Texts are here made available along with Powerpoints, images arranged by tableau, and an integrated interactive text and image virtual tour that puts the many images into a coherent whole and includes Chinese transcribed texts from within the site as well as my English translations.
My rationale for posting it all here is that it may prove useful to both those simply interested as well as those highly knowledgeable. Simply download the images by ‘right-clicking’ and saving them to your desktop. For the Powerpoints, click the ‘download’ button or feel free to ‘share’. For the lengthier texts, once opened, save them to your desktop.
The art historical canon gets taught over and over again oftentimes because images and related materials are conveniently available. Baodingshan allows for no excuses: it comes pre-packaged. Choose one image to discuss style, choose the whole site to talk about history or social structure. Talk about religion – or don’t. Use the whole site to study color, or ignore the images altogether and talk only about the later inscribed literati texts. Look, read, discuss, disagree with – all are acceptable and indeed desirable.
Permission to use any of the images or texts found within this website for educational purposes is granted as understood within fair use. Reproduction of the images or text translations must be appropriately credited. Use of any of the materials for non-educational purposes or in “for-profit” circumstances is not allowed except by permission. Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or comments, and enjoy your time at Baodingshan!
Dr. Karil J Kucera, Ph.D. 古嘉慧
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