The Occupations of Skill and Tradition section consists of many images promoting womanly virtues. The Sung Dynasty handscroll The Ladies' Book of Filial Piety (女孝經圖) laid down the guidelines for women of different social classes, represented through scenes of tranquil family life.
Edifying illustrations from later ages seem to encourage more radical conduct. In the Ming Dynasty Two Ladies of Tou (竇氏二女) an illustration for the book Models of Womanhood (閨範十集), praises the extreme conduct of two women who choose death before dishonor.
On the other hand, as women gained wider access to education, one sees, from the Ming Dynasty onward, more depictions of women reading and writing, in contrast to child-rearing and dancing which had predominated in earlier ages.
Although women during the Ming and Ching dynasties had greater access to education, these skills tended to be restricted to aristocrats and courtesans. The exhibits in the Talents in Arts and Crafts section, mostly paintings of flowers and birds -- popular female themes -- make this the least interesting of the three sections, but one not without value.
The first phase of Blossoming Through the Ages: Women in Chinese Art and Culture from the Permanent Collection will run through May 15. The second phase starts May 17 and will run till June 25. The National Palace Museum is located at 221 Chihshan Rd., Taipei (台北市至善路二段221號).
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