Chinese door guards

This lesson plan is adapted from Access Asia: Secondary Teaching and Learning Units, Curriculum Corporation, 1996, p 14-17.

Learning areas
The Arts
This lesson plan can make a contribution to the Visual arts strand of The Arts - a Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools.

Level
Years 9-10

Outline
Students focus on Chinese door guards and compare this aspect of historical Chinese culture with aspects of their own culture. They then sculpt an example of a door guard.

Studies of Asia emphases
Major emphasis: Understanding contributions made by the peoples of Asia to the world

Curriculum context
These activities would complement others which illustrate cultural differences and similarities. They could also be used in more detailed studies of aspects of the arts in China.

Duration
Five or six class sessions

Materials required

• Student sheet: 'Examples of Chinese door guards'
• Handbuilding clay (eg terracotta).
• Boards, clay tools, plastic bags, kiln.

Procedure

Exploring Chinese beliefs and customs

1. Distribute the Student sheet 'Examples of Chinese door guards' and discuss features, construction, purpose and so on. Also discuss whether other societies have an equivalent.
2. Review images and main concepts from the introduction. Discuss historical Chinese views of immortality, and rituals, strategies and beliefs about death in other cultures. Highlight individual or cultural differences.
3. If possible, compare examples of Chinese door guards with funerary images or objects from other cultures, such as the objects found in ancient Egyptian pyramids. Look for similarities and differences in appearance and function.
4. Discuss what fears might have prompted the production of such frightening objects as door guards. Also discuss what fears students might have in common with the ancient Chinese.
5. Make a list of protective characters from real life or fantasy that are known to students. (Examples could include angels, other religious figures or 'comic' characters such as Superman or Batman.) Discuss the functions of these characters and the qualities they possess.

Focusing on door guards

1. Divide the class into four groups and ask each group to look at one of the door guards on the Student sheet. Ask each group to discuss features of its door guard and what it might be designed to protect against.
2. Ask groups to compile a list of features necessary in a door guard so that it can offer protection from students' fears. (For example, it might need wings to fly away from danger, or claws in case of attack.)
3. Ask groups to design personal door guards, with all the necessary features. Have students produce a set of drawings, showing their guards from various angles and in various poses.
4. Display the drawings and ask students to explain their work to the class as a whole.

Producing sculptures of door guards

1. Demonstrate the preparation of clay and some construction techniques. Then ask students to begin work on their own sculptures. Review joining techniques and discuss any problems (such as methods of support) as required.
2. Ask students to pay particular attention to detail and texture.
3. At the end of each session, students can be asked to review their own work and discuss other students' work.
4. When the clay is leather hard, ask students to complete final details.
5. After firing, suitable surface treatments can be applied and the work photographed.
6. Sculptures can then be displayed. Students could also produce a poster outlining the cultural and historical stimulus for their work.

Related resources
Capon, E, Menzies, J & Yang Yang 1992, Imperial China: The Living Past, Art Exhibitions Australia, Sydney.
Kerr, R (ed) 1991, Chinese Art and Design Objects in Ritual and Daily Life, Overlook, New York.
The Entombed Warriors (video recording) 1982, Film Australia, NSW.