Studies In The Pedigree And Ancesrtral Portraiture Of The Fang Clan

History accounts by local families,with information giving priority to family events and occurrences,have long gained much recognition of all parties concerned and the two fields of history and arts in particular,owing to the fact that records as such are helpful and paramount with their richness and plenty as a miniature of a certain society.Fangshi Xiangpu or the Pedigree(with Portrait-illustrations)of the Fang Clan is one of such works formed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,now in the collection of the Yuzhong County Museum,Lanzhou,Gansu Province.This unique pedigree consists of stories of the clan's ancestors,poems,epitaphs and gravestones,as well as local celebrities' writings as commentary.In contrast with regular literary family history,the Pedigree of the Fang Clan makes a record of what 46 ancestors look like by way of portraits,which,based on accumulation of eleven generations in two dynasties,form systematic series of portraits of ancestors in the family.Such a practice might find its counterparts of real images popular in the area of Dunhuang back in Western Jin Dynasty,Eastern Jin Dynasty,Northern Wei in Northern Dynasty,Sui Dynasty,Tang Dynasty,Five Dynasties,and early Song Dynasty.All seems to be an indicator of the reality that the drawings of portraits in Northwestern China for the sake of worshipping ancestors have a long history and make a unique realization of regional characteristic features.Technically speaking,such a practice is the continuance and succession of theories and techniques of fine arts characterized by miniature of portraits in Yuan Dynasty.Functionally speaking,all materials reflected in Pedigree of the Fang Clan as rare resources make researchers accessed to fashion and other aspects of culture in Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty as well.The Pedigree of the Fang Clan presents to us history of the Family with an account of their origination in Sanpo Village,Wucheng,Zhejiang Province,of their subjection to Zhu Yuanzhang in the ending period of the Yuan Dynasty until the beginning time of the Qing Dynasty;it also shows how Fang Rong,ancestor of the second generation,died in the battle when joining the Expedition in wiping out the Yuan military forces as crowded in Eastern Liaoning.The pedigree continues to tell how Fang Qing,eldest son of Fang Rong,after his father's death,was to succeed his father's rank,and was to fight other campaigns and battles against Mongolian nobles in the north,and how he was to fight courageously,to be awarded quite a few times in the latter Jinnan Campaign,thus promoted from Small Banner to Thousand Households through Chief Banner,Hundred Households and Deputy Thousand Households,before he was honored to be appointed Deputy Commander of Qingzhou City.Also,according to literature,Yongle period witnessed that Emperor Ming Chenzu fulfilled five expeditions in person against North-Desert(Mobei)inhabited Mongolian nobles making trouble and invading southward.Fang Qing,in the first of the five campaigns,was seriously wounded and hence back home,whose rank,for physical condition and old age,was again to be passed over to his eldest son Fang Zhen,who went on to fight in the last three campaigns,before his participation in the warfare with Emperor Ming Xuanzong's personal supervision and leadership of the army troops against the rebellion of Gao Xuan,King Han(King of Han Kingdom).The year 1428,namely the third of Xuande,witnessed Fang Zhen's participation in fights as well as Emperor Ming Xuanzong's personal leadership of the expedition to conquer and subjugate Urianghan(Wuliangha)and like.In the seventh year of Xuande(1432),Fang Zhen was appointed Deputy Commander of Lanzhou Garrison Force as part of Shaan'xi Army Troops,and thereafter,Fang Zhen,ancestor of the fourth generation and his off-springs came to settle down and were hence to inhabit Lanzhou.The Pedigree of the Fang Clan makes a literary account of life stories,marriages,achievements,and army ranks in succession and other trivial odds of the contemporaries in the Fang Family(or Families),going from the first generation in Ming Dynasty to latter in Qing Dynasty.Part of the role lies in its provision of access to the system of military ranks to be appointed by the Emperor and to be succeeded by the son,should a focal attention be given to an interpretation of proper names and historical events along the streamline.Another part is to provide evidence as to help display all aspects of society and living of Northwestern China in Ming Dynasty etc.