ART
As a metropolitan empire covering multiple planets and cultures, art in the Jade Empire is varied and displays multiple regional and cultural influences. Cultural interchange across the Jade Empire and beyond has resulted in a rich, varied and ever-evolving artistic culture, but much of it can be traced back to historical roots with distinct geographical influences.
Ingenious and Dong Wusian artistic styles are most prevalent, and this includes hallmark calligraphy, poetry, lacquerware and woodblock printing. Calcarian and Athoinian provide some of the finest sculptors and glassblowers in the Jade Empire, whilst Suedians and Yokeneko both have a rich history of weaving and oil painting, and Suedia is considered to be the finest source of jewellery. Sattrans are known for wood and stone carving, as well as a significant collection of sagas and songs passed down through ancient oral tradition.
Ingenious and Dong Wusian artistic styles are most prevalent, and this includes hallmark calligraphy, poetry, lacquerware and woodblock printing. Calcarian and Athoinian provide some of the finest sculptors and glassblowers in the Jade Empire, whilst Suedians and Yokeneko both have a rich history of weaving and oil painting, and Suedia is considered to be the finest source of jewellery. Sattrans are known for wood and stone carving, as well as a significant collection of sagas and songs passed down through ancient oral tradition.
THE INGENIOUS
Ingenious poetry, in the hallmark senryu style of three lines consisting of three syllables, is one of its most recognisable art forms, in part thanks to the custom of writing a death poem among the samurai classes. It is fashionable for public buildings to have a senryu in the entryway.
Woodblock printing is also a practiced tradition among the Ingenious, and consists of using layered elements and ink. Riku-shin, the most popular school, commonly depicts landscapes, portraits and scenes from historical or mythological stories in a literal, but colourful and fanciful way. |
DONG WU
One of the earliest writing systems on Laptev developed in Dong Wu, resulting in a rich tradition of calligraphy in which the characters themselves are viewed as abstract art pieces. A well-written senryu or even single character can stand alone as art in the same way a landscape painting or statue would.
Early pioneers of complex pottery, the province of Dong Wu is also famous for producing elegant lacquered goods of all forms, from bowls to cabinets. |
YOKENEKO
Yokeneko oil painters are considered some of the finest on the planet. They specialise in portraits and frieze paintings, in particular of historical and religious figures. Popular styles include the high-contrast, moody chiaroscuro school and the impasto style, which creates a vibrant, almost three-dimensional feel.
Many wealthy Jade Imperials will have oil paintings from Yokeneko workshops commissioned, to celebrate great achievements or beloved family members. |
THE SATTRANS
Sattrans take great pride in their homes, and use both woodcarving and stonecarving to create elaborate lintels, masonry and decorations for their buildings. These typically involve motifs focused on natural elements, such as the sea, forests, mountains and wild animals.
They also have a wide collection of oral histories, recounted as songs, sagas and epic poems which recount historical, mythological, and cautionary tales, some of which are believed to date back as far as the Neolithic. |
THE SUEDIANS
Like the Yokeneko, the Suedians are excellent oil painters, but their jewellers and metalworking artisans are the most sought-after in the Jade Empire. Working with their mineral-rich surroundings, they create traditionally elegant pieces in baroque styles, although they have mastered styles from across the Jade Empire.
They also create grand tapestries and banners, historically used to depict achievements such as hunts, tournaments and victories in battle. |
THE CALCARIANS AND ATHOINE
Famed connoisseurs of wine, the inhabitants of southern Neusattar have long been expert glassblowers, producing carafes, flutes, goblets, glasses and myriad other wares. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, they also capitalised on enthusiasm for stained glass windows in the Kingdom of Suedia.
The region is also well-known for its statues, with master sculptors creating lifelike and fantastical pieces ranging from tiny votive statues to colossal pieces that dominate city skylines and plazas. |
All pictures sourced from Google Images