The art of China's earliest dynastic periods, known as the Bronze Age, focused on the dead.  Concerned about the after life, kings and their officers constructed and decorated lavish tombs.  Many tombs today are still intact and inside they have bronze vessels, weapons, carved jades, and ceramic objects that helped comfort the dead, in their new life.  The walls were decorated, carved, or painted with scenes describing popular legends.  

In the 4th century Buddhism brought new styles of sculpture and painting from India.  Along with the new styles from India of landscape paintings, portraits flourished.  Landscape became an important expression of both philsophy and art.  Northern China, the primary center of Buddhism influence, was often focused on the studies of the six dynasties' art.  In southern China, however, advances were also made in the areas of ceramics.  In 1279 - 1369 the Mongol in version of song, altered chinese art particularly paintings and architecture. 

Even though the new invaders loved art, the artists felt uneasy at court and finnaly quit.  In 1368 - 1644, the Ming Dynasty started an academy for royal arts which attracted most of the bird and flower painters of the Ma- Hsia school.