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Dangdai Dolls: The Great Doll of China
Introduction
Chinese contemporary artist Lee Shi-min has brought the former glory of Chinese imperial dynasties to life through his Dangdai series by the personification of consecutive dynasties by iconic dynastic figures which he has termed dynasticlasts. The works in the series feature dynasticlast portraits of imperial and tribal women wearing elaborate animist attire and Chinese mountain beanie hats (wan-mao) strongly imbued with corresponding dynastic colors.
In artistic terms, Dangdai is a fresh, innovative and original series of works of clarity and vision that offers a further element of multi-dimensionality, order of depth and degree of sophistication to Chinese imperial tradition where the exclusion of males signifies a long overdue tribute to, edification and acknowledgment of female contribution to the great establishments, accomplishments and achievements manifest throughout Chinese dynastic times -- a historically significant and important set of paintings being the first and only modern visualization by a prominent contemporary artist of a full succession of Chinese empresses and tribal women spanning over two millennia.
The series is a prime example of the artist’s mode, method or approach of incorporating or combining several unique, identifying features to great visual effect in works that are recalled at once. The face of each character in the series follows the artist’s proprietary formula and signature proportions for facial beauty, cuteness and appeal; each face is formed by a masterful arrangement of nine distinct tribal markings, common elements by form and color: eyes are expressed as open pearl-bearing blue clams, accentuating the upper and lower eyelids, embedded in concentric forms of two sea-fishes (the larger green, the smaller red) highlighting the orbits of the eyes; a trinity of three brown Chinese character seal tattoos (one bearing the doll's name, one bearing the Chinese characters for "now" (the present), and one bearing the Chinese characters for "forever" (the future)) which honorably take the form of plan views, pointing upstream, of the upper decks of Ming Admiral Zheng He’s monumental treasure ships upon which he launched his epic voyages across the Western oceans in the first half of the fifteeth century, an allegory for the rebirth, rejuvenation and revitalization of the same spirit of discovery in the Dangdai Dolls, set in a triangular arrangement around the eyes.
Moreover, the faces are framed by modern animist attire and Chinese mountain beanies containing references to Western classical and Eastern imperial architecture and design. The three bands of square and rectangular panels on the circumference of the beanie bear (from top down) Chinese characters for each of the twelve associated animals, the twenty-four Chinese cardinal directions, and the twelve earthly branches. This color-coded trinity of bands is surrounded by auspicious motifs of the doll's corresponding animal. One circular hair portal perforates the back of the beanie. Each hat is topped off with a strong animal silhouette. A grand tribute to the more aesthetic gender of the human species, curvilinear, rounded, refined.
The names of each of the dynasticlast doll characters in chronological order are:
Dynasticlast Doll Name: Dynasties Covered : Date : Years
Ancient Dynastic Period
1. Dong-dong : Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors : Before 2070 BC : 628+
2. Lan-lan : Xia : 2100-1600 BC : 470
3. Qing-qing : Shang : 1600-1046 BC : 554
4. Fen-fen :
Zhou : 1045-256 BC
Western Zhou : 1045-771 BC : 275
Eastern Zhou : 770-256 BC : 514
Spring and Autumn Period : 722-476 BC : 246
Warring States Period : 475-221 BC : 254
Imperial Dynastic Period
5. Huang-huang :
Qin : 221-206 BC : 15
6. Hong-hong :
Han : 206 BC-220 AD : 426
Western Han : 206 BC-9 AD : 215
Xin Dynasty : 9-23 : 14
Eastern Han : 25-220 : 195
7. Dai-dai :
Three Kingdoms (Wei, Shu, Wu): 220-265 : 45
8. Xia-xia :
Jin Dynasty
Western Jin : 265-317 : 52
Eastern Jin : 317-420 : 103
9. Xing-xing :
16 Kingdoms : 304-439 : 135
10. Zi-zi :
Southern and Northern Dynasties : 420-589 : 169
11. Yun-yun :
Sui : 581-618 : 37
12. Fei-fei :
Tang : 618-907 : 289
Second Zhou Dynasty : 690-705 : 15
1. Dong-dong :
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms : 907-960 : 53
2. Lan-lan :
Song Dynasty : 960-1279
Northern Song : 960-1127 : 167
Western Xia
Southern Song : 1127-1269 : 152
3. Qing-qing :
Liao Dynasty : 916-1125 : 209
4. Fen-fen :
Jin Dynasty : 1115-1234 : 119
5. Huang-huang :
Yuan Dynasty : 1271-1368 : 97
6. Hong-hong :
Ming Dynasty : 1368-1644 : 276
7. Dai-dai :
Shun Dynasty : 1644 : 1
8. Xia-xia :
Qing Dynasty : 1644 -1912 : 268
Modern Era
9. Xing-xing :
Republic of China : 1912-1949 : 37
10. Zi-zi :
People’s Republic of China : 1949-present
Dynasticlast Doll Name : Animal : Signature Color : Season
1. Dong-dong : Rat : Gray : Winter
2. Lan-lan : Ox : Blue : Winter
3. Qing-qing : Tiger : Green : Spring
4. Fen-fen : Rabbit : Pink : Spring
5. Huang-huang : Dragon : Yellow : Spring
6. Hong-hong : Snake : Red : Summer
7. Dai-dai : Horse : Black : Summer
8. Xia-xia : Ram : Cyan : Summer
9. Xing-xing : Monkey : Magenta : Autumn
10. Zi-zi : Rooster : Purple : Autumn
11. Yun-yun : Dog : Orange : Autumn
12. Fei-fei : Boar : Brown : Winter
The increasingly popular line of Dangdaiers or Dangdai Dolls (3D Dolls) are based on this series. Referred to by the artist as "ideal small-scale model specimens of the female form," they are notable for their strikingly designed attire, subtle oriental features and youthful nubile proportions. There are 12 colourful dolls in all, three for each season, one for each Chinese zodiac animal.