Style And Symbol--A Study On The Lotus Image In WeiJin And NanBei Dynasties

The lotus image is the first plant decorative pattern in the history of Chinese decoration and is also the most active one in the history of Chinese ornaments. This is the first academic thesis to systematically study the lotus image in ancient China. The author chooses lotus image, which is profoundly embedded with culture and specially symbolized with signification,as the theme for analysis of symbol meanings and comparison of form by crossing over the traditional culture between orient and west. The thesis expatiates the lotus image with various perspectives and layers, dissects the origin, form, style and symbol of lotus image, and its relationship with the politics, history, culture, philosophy generated the sign. On the basis of systematical and comprehensive resource collection,this dissertation give a systematical study in the form, significance, propagation, application and recreation of lotus image.The thesis applies the Formalistic analysis, Iconology, Semeiology and Stylistics from the study of western fine arts history to the research of lotus image. This thesis consists of eight chapters and each chapter combines diachronic study with synchronic study, combines textual research with argumentation, combines macroscopic with microcosmic, and combines parallel comparison with influence contrast.In this dissertation, author presents five regional styles of the form of lotus image: Qiuci style, Liangzhou style, Pingcheng style, Zhongyuan style, Nanchao style, and analyzes the regional features, propagation process, mutual relation and the internal and external impetus of these lotus image styles. The paper relates the form of lotus with its inner meanings, and avoids simple analysis of formalism or only depiction of cultural centralism ,and the image is organically integrated with symbol and history in this paper. The author endeavors to find some relationship from Sinic plant decorative images and explores the intrinsic history of decoration, and studies the evolutional process of lotus image as a strict history science. This paper emphasize the intrinsic art will of lotus pattern and the action of inner self-discipline to the evolutional process of image.Taking the image as a clew, the author traces the footprint of the crosscultural & artistic communication between China and foreign countries, and discusses the orientation problem of the cultural circumfluence and the ethos in art . The full paper illuminates a truth: the lotus decorative image of china contains a law of inner self-discipline during the process of intercommunion and diffusion of the culture and art between China and foreign countries.