by Jurate Macnoriute
If we retrospect art of ancient India, Chinese culture, one of the greatest and oldest world's cultures, can not be left outside of this research.
Let us begin from review of stand position and in further recognition of nonverbal expressions in Chinese art let us keep such general order: appearance, face character, postures, cues, body movements, emotions, signals, group relations.
Contemporary psychology distinguishes anatomical position as one among other postures occurring in everyday life, sport, mass medium, and art. It is described as an erect upright position with arms extended by body's sides, palms rotated forward. That posture can be recognized among the 7,000 life-size tomb figures of Chinese Terracotta Army, inside the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (210–209 BC). They stood in several poses, each unique. In Fig.35 standing infantry in anatomical position can fortify impression of martial humility.
Fig. 35. Terracotta warriors.
Chinese sculpted or painted figures' facial beauty is defined by Eastern Asians' ethnic features (Fig.36)--narrow eyes, high arched eyebrows, wide enough and short nose, wide cheekbones, not wide mouth. Afferent signal pleasure is shown by calm state and corners of the mouth curving a bit upward.
Fig. 36. Bodhisattva (or Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future). Baimasi monastery at Lyo Yang, Henan Province.
Sit posture similar to Indian lotus, but more free, often sit details invisible under clothing. They do not sit on chair, but on little carpet (Fig.37).
Fig. 37. Chinese Anonym. From series Rites and Ceremonies Religions of China.
Head tilt side used usually depicting mother with kid (Chinese Anonym. From series Birth of a Child). Gesture point sometimes used to indicate the presence or location of objects (Fig.38).
Fig. 38. Chinese Anonym. From series Popular Rituals and Offerings in Peking.
Chinese self touch tactile sign frequently has form of keeping hand on hand (Fig.39).
Chinese personages' stand poses often express submission and humility. Arms together on breast, tilt forward (Fig.39).
Fig. 39. Bunian Tujuan (Tang - Yan Liben)
Sometimes bodies of Chinese personages are bent (Fig.40-1, Fig.40-2) or kneeling (Fig.41-1) what also states about submission status.
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Fig. 40. Chinese Anonym. From series Beggars, Criminals, Punishments; Chinese Anonym. From series Funeral Rites
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Fig. 41. Chinese Anonym. From series Medicine; Chinese Anonym. From series Officials and Administration.
Posture bow can be recognized in figure of the official giving some papers to administrators (Fig.41-2). This submission is enhanced by kneeling.
An example of decision grip can be horseman holding the reins (Fig.42).
Fig. 42. Detail of watercolor of of Han Gan.
Body movement power grip takes place in Chinese anonym picture of punishment which detail is seen in Fig. 43. That body movement is mostly rude and it describes as a manner of grasping an object tightly between the palm and fingers.
Fig. 43. Chinese Anonym. From series Beggars, Criminals, Punishments.
Precision grip Chinese artists used for personages taking cup of tea (Fig.44-1), flower (Fig.44-2), pulling tooth (Fig.45-1), measuring (Fig.45-2).
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Fig. 44-1. Detail of watercolor of Gongyang Ren (Wudai); 2. Detail of watercolor of Zanhua Shinv Tujuan (Tang - Zhou Fang).
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Fig. 45-1. Chinese Anonym. From series Medicine; 2. Chinese Anonym. From series Popular Rituals and Offerings in Peking
Tripping walk is characteristic for Chinese. Walking blind man touches ground very airily in what we can envisage balance cue (Fig.46).
Fig. 46. Chinese Anonym. From series Beggars, Criminals, Punishments.
Light mood of meditation accompanies Chinese paintings, quiet smile smartens faces of personages drowned in themselves. Smile seen in Fig.46 signifies a state of extreme poverty and destitution, put up with blindness.
Touch cue is infrequent in Chinese art. In spanking scene Fig.47 we find the touch cue related with pain cue. Battered person does not show pain cue.
Fight or flight is not characteristic for Chinese personages -- any constraint they accept as right penalty and suffer stilly.
Fig. 47. Chinese Anonym. From series Beggars, Criminals, Punishments.
Chinese emotion sadness is met especially in funeral scenes (Fig.48). It expresses with a bit bent body and hands with handkerchief held to face.
Fig. 48. Chinese Anonym. From series Funeral Rites.
Sign eye contact is used sometimes, but it has some poetic dreaming property like in Fig. 49 Listening man's gaze to playing woman can be considered as love signal.
Fig. 49. Detail of watercolor of Hanxi Zai Yeyan Tujuan.
Swagger walk is a distinguishing quality of Chinese highborn persons, characterized mainly by straight stand and presence of red, black, and white colors in wear (Fig.50-1). That expression can be also identified with status signal dominance. In Fig.50-2 facial expression of depicted official can be ascribed to this same status -- gaze from superiorly, eyebrows high up, lips compressed for light scorn and disgust.
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Fig. 50. 1. Detail of watercolor of Gu Diwang Tujuan (Tang, Juanben); 2. Chinese Anonym. From series Beggars, Criminals, Punishments.
Very infrequent expressions are cry, laugh, yawn, kiss, mime cue, stranger anxiety, lip touch, flexion withdrawal, hands on hips, high stand display, fear emotion, and some others.
