The earliest evidence of Chinese art is the finds from the Late Neolithic (around 5000-2000 B.C.) Honan and Lungshan cultures named after their localities. The art forms of the Shang Dynasty (16th century to 11th century B.C.) are made from religious bronze objects, bronze weapons, pottery and jade carvings, which were excavated in the area of today's Changzhou. During the Chang-kuo period (481 – 222 B.C.), the independence of the feudal lords led to the flourishing luxury in the princely tombs. The bronze mirror, glockenspiels and head masks which defended from demons as well as wooden figures, jade carvings and described silk scarves were excavated in the province of Hupeh (Hubei).

Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 9 A.D.)
China's supremacy in Central Asia is testified to by numerous archaeological finds. Amongst the most important was the burial suit of Princess Tou Wan of 2160 pieces of jade sewn together with gold thread, discovered in a burial mound, 150 km southwest of Beijing in 1968. In addition to numerous grave goods, the famous lamp of Mancheng and a bronze sculpture of a palace maid gilded with gold were also discovered there. Stone reliefs and murals depict historical themes and bear witness to the high level of art of this period.

Six Dynasties Period (221–589)
In the third century Buddha and Bodhisattvas appeared as a part of the décor on mirrors and as gold-plated small sculptures.

Tang Dynasty (618 – 906)
Under the Tang rulers a united China grew into a cosmopolitan empire. The sophisticated gold and silversmithing shows influences of foreign cultures. The presence of foreigners can also be seen in the ceramic tomb figures of this time.

Song Dynasty (960–1279)
The indicator for the painting of the Northern Song period is the development of a specifically Chinese landscape painting. During the Song period, the ceramics experienced an artistic highpoint.

Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368)
Although painting and calligraphy were not encouraged by the rulers, they developed to new heights.Towards the end of the Yuan period, the first blue and white porcelain emerged.

Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)
This period saw the emergence of the first book printing and the printing of color woodblock. Art connoisseurship and collecting increased. In painting, new levels of high performance have been reached. The Ming Dynasty of the 15th century is the golden age of blue and white porcelain and porcelain with copper or iron red underglaze painting.

Ch'ing and Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912)

The art traditions of former periods were continued. As before, the painting played a significant role.The porcelain art of the period is of high quality. In addition to blue and white porcelain, opaque products from biscuit porcelain were increasingly manufactured. Chinese porcelain is a popular collection object since the 17th century.