Research On Zodiac Figurines Of Sui And Tang Dynastie

Among the ancient Ming wares,the twelve Chinese Zodiac figurines originated in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.However,the custom of burial with terracotta figures existed in the pre Qin period.As a burial system,the Chinese Zodiac figurines spread throughout the tombs of the Tang Dynasty,and their distribution characteristics have obvious epochal and regional characteristics.Through the typological analysis of the figurines of the Chinese zodiac in the tombs,this paper summarizes the modeling characteristics and evolution process of the figurines of the Chinese zodiac in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.From the perspective of art archaeology,this paper analyzes the cultural connotation of the Chinese zodiac in the Tang Dynasty and the factors of foreign civilization,as well as the research value of tomb culture,through the discussion on the modeling posture,clothing patterns and materials of the Chinese Zodiac figurines,and then explores various social factors of their modeling evolution,as well as the cultural phenomenon of cultural exchange and integration between China and the West reflected in the whole evolution process,This is also of great significance for art research in the context of the silk road.In the first chapter,this paper combs the evolution process of the Chinese Zodiac figurines,and analyzes the reasons for the evolution of the Chinese Zodiac figurines.The second chapter reviews the tombs and excavations of the figurines of the Chinese Zodiac from the Sui Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty,the prosperous Tang Dynasty,the middle Tang Dynasty to the late Tang Dynasty.Based on a large number of archaeological investigation reports and excavation briefings,and combined with the image data of the figurines of the Chinese zodiac in various atlas,it combs and compares the data,and discusses the distribution characteristics of the figurines of the Chinese zodiac in the South and the north by using the methods of iconology and typology,This paper summarizes the type characteristics of the Chinese Zodiac figurines,and combs the development and evolution process of the Chinese Zodiac figurines from the south to the north,from realistic animals,animal heads,human bodies to human heads,and from sitting to standing posture.The number shows the law of the most in the prosperous Tang Dynasty and gradually decreasing.On the whole,it has the characteristics of times and regions.The evolution of the shape of the Chinese Zodiac figurines highlights the power and status of people.There is little analysis of the types of the zodiac figurines in the academic circles,and there is still a lack of systematic discussion.In the third chapter,the modeling characteristics of the figurines of the Chinese zodiac are analyzed,and the reasons behind the evolution of the figurines are systematically analyzed from the aspects of their posture,clothing patterns,production technology and materials.It extends to the cultural connotation of the Chinese Zodiac culture and the role of the Chinese Zodiac figurines in ancient Chinese tombs,from the initial function of indicating orientation and recording time to the tomb God ghost figurines,who hate victory and ward off evil spirits.The twelve gods take turns to guard the tomb owner,expressing people’s concept of reincarnation of life and death,infiltrating the idea of treating death as life,and reflecting people’s prayer for peace of soul in the underground world.Both aristocrats and common people can use the figurines of the Chinese Zodiac as burial objects.With the factors of religion,society and funeral system in the Tang Dynasty,we can see the reasons for the rise and fall of the Chinese Zodiac figurines in the whole period,and analyze the external factors reflected by the Chinese Zodiac figurines.The fourth chapter explains the basic connotation of the Chinese Zodiac culture.The zodiac culture is an important part of China’s ancient folk culture.It gradually developed and matured in the Tang Dynasty,during which a rich number of zodiac works of art were produced,including Zodiac figurines,Zodiac epitaphs,bronze mirrors,wall paintings,Zodiac artifacts and other artistic images with the theme of zodiac,all showing their different artistic characteristics.By searching for a large number of materials,the Chinese Zodiac culture can be summarized into two versions: the native version and the foreign version.It also has its epochal characteristics.The value connotation of the Chinese Zodiac culture is discussed from three aspects: time,space and distribution law.Finally,it analyzes the impact of the Chinese Zodiac culture of the Tang Dynasty on social life,which not only increases the humanistic color of the Tang Dynasty culture internally,but also produces the blending and mutual learning of Chinese and Western civilizations externally.Then from the three aspects of agricultural civilization,the art of geomancy and the art of astronomy,as well as the exploration of the foreign civilization in the Tang Dynasty and the cultural exchange between China and the West.This paper takes the figurines of the Chinese Zodiac as the entrance,and puts them under the background of the Chinese Zodiac culture.At the same time,it combines the special characteristics of the Tang Dynasty,and analyzes the artistic image of the figurines of the Chinese Zodiac from the aspects of form and content through the combination of the small and the large,the macro and micro perspectives,and the collation of physical materials and literature.Under the strong historical background of the Tang Dynasty,this paper explores the influence of the Western civilization represented by the Chinese Zodiac culture,and expands the research on the art history of the silk road.