1
|
Lin AE, Murali CN, Neri G. Syndromes and birth defects in art and antiquities: New perspectives on a familiar theme. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2021; 187:107-110. [PMID: 34050599 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Lin
- Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chaya N Murali
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Genetics, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Giovanni Neri
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wu L, Zhou Y, Zhang D, Shen Y, Liu A. The portrayal of people with dwarfism in Chinese art. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2021; 187:192-198. [PMID: 33982873 PMCID: PMC8251782 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Dwarfism has been depicted in various Chinese art forms including literature, sculpture, and painting. This article examines several representative Chinese works of art from different ages of Chinese history, in order to glimpse the living situations of people with dwarfism, their professions and social status, as well as the social attitude toward them in China. We highlight "" (Shan Hai Jing, translated as the Classic of Mountains and Seas), a remarkable collection of myths and illustrations which documented the existence of dwarf communities where the residents were capable of producing high-quality grains. Representations from sculptures and paintings frequently captured the images of individuals with dwarfism in royal courts, which showed their remarkable performance skills and social ability. There are also works of art associating dwarfism with rituals. In addition to portraying ordinary individuals with humble social status, there was one particular individual with dwarfism named Yan Zi () who was highly regarded as a figure of wisdom. Throughout the long Chinese history, dwarfism had been portrayed in art as either positive, neutral or derogatory, which reflected the fact that people with dwarfism, while short in stature, are usually intellectually normal, generally skillful, and often talented, in short, like the general population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liuyin Wu
- School of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Zhang
- School of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiping Shen
- School of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.,Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Aixia Liu
- School of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|