Existed in Modern-Day China from 206 BCE – 220 CE
Han Dynasty
A reimagining of the ancient Han Dynasty by KEd-AI
“The Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) reunified China after the civil war following the death of Qin Shihuangdi in 210 BCE. It is divided into two periods: the Former (or Western) Han, when Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) was its capital; and the Later (or Eastern) Han, which ruled from Luoyang—230 miles east of Xi’an. The Han dynasty was a pivotal period in the history of China. During its long reign of almost four hundred years, many foundations were laid for enduring aspects of Chinese society.”
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Given current AI image generation capabilities, this rendering represents a good attempt to visualize the Han Dynasty while balancing archaeological evidence with technical limitations. While it is not perfectly accurate, it does succeed in conveying the key elements. As a result, it provides a valuable visualization tool for understanding this ancient Empire.
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15th January 2025
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A journey through the Han Dynasty in ten objects (no date) National Museums Liverpool. Available at: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/journey-through-han-dynasty-ten-objects (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Artist, U. (no date) Han Woman, Dahuting Tomb, World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7454/han-woman-dahuting-tomb/ (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
belt-fitting | British Museum (no date). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1945-1017-201, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1945-1017-201 (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Benjamin, C. (ed.) (2018) ‘The Early Han Dynasty and the Eastern Silk Roads’, in Empires of Ancient Eurasia: The First Silk Roads Era, 100 BCE – 250 CE. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (New Approaches to Asian History), pp. 91–118. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316335567.005.
Cartwright, M. (no date) Women in Ancient China, World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1136/women-in-ancient-china/ (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
drawing | British Museum (no date a). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1881-1210-0-1041 (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
drawing | British Museum (no date b). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2020-3015-69, (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
drawing | British Museum (no date d). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1881-1210-0-1041 (Accessed: 20 January 2025).
Female Dancer [Earthenware with slip and pigment] (2nd century BCE). Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/42178 (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
figure | British Museum (no date). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1947-0712-395, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1947-0712-395 (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Gützlaff, K.F.A. (ed.) (2015) ‘Han Dynasty—202 B. C. to 220 A. D’, in A Sketch of Chinese History, Ancient and Modern: Comprising a Retrospect of the Foreign Intercourse and Trade with China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Cambridge Library Collection - East and South-East Asian History), pp. 228–274. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316018354.011.
Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (no date). Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hand/hd_hand.htm (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) (no date) Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Available at: https://asia-archive.si.edu/learn/for-educators/teaching-china-with-the-smithsonian/explore-by-dynasty/han-dynasty/ (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Hinsch, B. (1998) ‘Women, Kinship, and Property as Seen in a Han Dynasty Will’, T’oung Pao, 84(1/3), pp. 1–20.
Hinsch, B. (2006) ‘The Criticism of Powerful Women by Western Han Dynasty Portent Experts’, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 49(1), pp. 96–121.
Hung, H.M. (2011) The Road to the Throne: How Liu Bang Founded China’s Han Dynasty. Algora Publishing.
Kelley, C.F. (1941) ‘Art of the Han Dynasty’, Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago (1907-1951), 35(7), pp. 116–115. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/4120041.
Koo, T.H. (1920) ‘The Constitutional Development of the Western Han Dynasty’, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 40, pp. 170–193. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/593418.
Liu Bang 劉邦 | British Museum (no date). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG2540(Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Loewe, M. (1986) ‘The Former Han dynasty’, in D. Twitchett and M. Loewe (eds) The Cambridge History of China: Volume 1: The Ch’in and Han Empires, 221 BC–AD 220. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (The Cambridge History of China), pp. 103–222. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521243278.004.
Loewe, M. (2005) Everyday Life in Early Imperial China During the Han Period, 202 BC-AD 220. Hackett Publishing.
Nickel, L. (2000) ‘Some Han Dynasty Paintings in the British Museum’, Artibus Asiae, 60(1), pp. 59–78. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3249940.
Noblewoman from the past gives researchers new insight (no date) chinadailyhk. Available at: https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/586840#Noblewoman-from-the-past-gives-researchers-new-insight--2024-06-28(Accessed: 16 January 2025).
painting; hanging scroll | British Museum (no date a). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1881-1210-0-1297 (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Smarthistory – The search for immortality: The Tomb of Lady Dai (no date). Available at: https://smarthistory.org/tomb-of-lady-dai/ (Accessed: 16 January 2025).
Western Han dynasty | British Museum (no date). Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x14684(Accessed: 16 January 2025).
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KEd-AI Reference Pack for the Han Dynasty Society
Mostly inspired by the Western Han
Female Dancer in Han Dynasty
The original sculpture is of a female dancer during the Western Han Dynasty period (2nd Century BCE). This image was taken from THE MET Museum. As one can see, it is quite hard to completely deduce from the scupture solely what a female dancer could have looked like. However, the scupture gives great insight into their dressing, their movements and the colours of their clothing. The description accompanying this scupture adds additional insight,
This figure vividly captures the moment when, with one long sleeve thrown back and the other trailing down, a dancer gently stoops and flexes her knees as she lifts one heel to advance her step, performing a dance described in Han dynasty poetry:
“Their long sleeves, twirling and twisting,
fill the hall;
Gauze-stocking feet…taking mincing steps,
Move with slow and easy gait
They hover about long and continuous, as if
Stopped in mid-air;
Dazed, one thinks they are about to fall…”
Utilising this information, and the vast amount of verified sources we have compiled as hinted in our reference pack, we successfully (to the best of our abilities) brought her to life.
The dancer, dancing
Please pardon the minor glitches in the AI recreation. Due to current technological limitations, some challenges arose with movement and the precise execution of the various dance styles. Nonetheless, this represents a significant effort and progress towards accurately capturing their beautiful movements as detailed in the description.
KEd-AI aims to use technology to bring history to life.
Please enjoy the beautiful video below.
Emperor Liu Bang
Recreating Emperor Liu Bang - ‘Kan no Koso’, the founder of the Western Han Dynasty, presented several challenges. Primarily, there is limited information available regarding his physical appearance. The visual references used for this reconstruction consisted of two paintings and one drawing sourced from historical records at the British Museum. Although it was quite difficult, additional information from archeological findings, detailed investigations into the culture and clothing at the time as well as understanding the time the paintings were created, where they were created and why, provided sufficient insight into coming close to recreating this historical figure.
Some of the Inconsistencies
The painting above was created in the 17th Century in Japan. For context, Liu Bang ruled during the Han Dynasty in China from 202 BC to 195 BC. Therefore, the painting was made much later and in a different country than where he ruled. This distinction must be considered when attempting to recreate his image..
The painting style of Kano Toun Masunobu 狩野洞雲益信 incorporates dramatized elements of his appearance and his regality. This is supported by recent archaeological and historical findings regarding the types of clothing worn during that period.
Image & Description from: British Museum
Drawing. Kan no Koso attacking the dragon. Colours on silk. According to the catalogue, signed and seal.
Image & Description from: British Museum
Object: Object: Liu Bang of the Han beheads the white snake on Mt Mangdang
Series: Series: Banmotsu ehon daizen zu 万物絵本大全図 (Illustrations for the Great Picture Book of Everything) (Illustrations for the Great Picture Book of Everything)
The two images, although produced by different artists, exhibit notable similarities. Both works present dramatized reimaginings of the Emperor, and both originate from Japan—his birthplace, rather than his place of rule. These factors influence the portrayal of the Emperor, providing valuable insights into his possible appearance when analyzed alongside other paintings, drawings, and historical evidence.
Some similiarities
In all paintings, the Emperor has an incredibly similar beard and mustache.
Looking closely, aside from the dramatised elements, the clothing has similarities in make and shape.
He has a very dominant facial expression and design
Taking all these factors into consideration, and comparing them alongside the extensive research conducted on the Western Han dynasty, as well as utilizing AI, we can develop a reasonably accurate recreation of Emperor Liu Bang.