Presentation Schedule
Transformative Bodies: Imagery of Female Herb-Pickers in Medieval China (93631)
Session Chair: Yu-chuan Chen
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Friday, 16 May 2025 11:15
Session: Session 1
Room: Live-Stream Room 2
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
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This project examines the depiction of female herb-pickers, or “Hirsute Maidens” (Maonu), in medieval Chinese art, exploring the ecological significance of their bodily transformations. These women, known for the dark hair covering their limbs, are portrayed in remote mountains gathering rare medicinal herbs, minerals, and fungi. According to legend, a male Daoist master taught them survival through foraging, which eventually led to transformations such as body-lightening, hair-growing, and immortality—highlighting the profound effects of the prolonged consumption of natural substances.
While previous scholarship has focused primarily on the iconography of the hirsute maidens, it has largely overlooked their deep connections with the natural environment and the broader ecological implications of their transformations. Situating these images within an ecocritical framework, this study connects them to broader themes of environmental justice and human-environment interdependence. I argue that the paintings depict the natural environment as both a transformative force and a potential danger— offering immortality while requiring specialized knowledge and exacting consequences. This research foregrounds the marginalized role of women to address a gap in art history, which has often privileged male-centered narratives. Comparing the iconography of the hirsute maidens to that of their glowing male counterparts (including herb-pickers, Daoist masters, and divine beings), I suggest that while the hirsute maidens embody a more interdependent and immersive relationship with nature, male figures are often depicted as asserting mastery and control over the natural world.
Authors:
Yu-chuan Chen, Oakland University, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Professor Yu-chuan Chen is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Oakland University in United States
See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule
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