Han Dynasty Stone Aesthetic

The Portrayal Art is one of very important representatives of the Funeral Art in Han Dynasty, and of very valuable disciplines in the history of Chinese art. The portrayals in the North of Shaanxi and the Northwest of Shanxi has following features in general:The first is that the portrayals in the north of Shaanxi and the northwest of Shanxi where the culture of Central Land is connected and mingled with the cultures of Minorities and Western Regions is diversiform and pluralistic. The second observation is the technique of these portrayals is very various and skilled. The third observation is about topics and subjects which are both bequeathed by the earlier portrayals in Shandong, Nanyang and Xuzhou, and mingled with salient characteristics in their own region. And the final is its complicated contents which reflect the people's thoughts and aesthetics of the Middle Han Dynasty when Chinese thoughts were changed a lot. I indeed take them as the case for its representation, integrity and complexity.It is one of the five famous unearthed portrayals areas in the North of Shaanxi and the Northwest of Shanxi where portrayals were antiquated (in the middle of East Han Dynasty) and concentrated. Until 2009, there are 1177 unearthed portrayals spreading in Shaanxi (specially focusing on Yuyang, Suide, Mizhi, Qingjian, Zizhou, Gengshan, Shenmu, Jingbian and Wubao) and Shanxi (specially focusing on Lvliang, Lishi, Liulin and Zhongyang). Portrayals were not created personally, but by a common expression which is as same as other antiquated arts. However, the technique, development and spread of the portrayals in the north of Shaanxi and the northwest of Shanxi were still effected by portrayals in other areas. Although funeral is a kind of personal activity, it indeed expresses some social universality by consuetude and sensibility. It therefore is very significative to discuss the relationship between individuality and collectivity. Finally, the portrayals in these areas is diversified, verisimilitude and excellent in design, model and technique. Their subjects are very pluralistic, and almost contain all the local conditions and customs around the frontier region.As one part of funeral rite, portrayals are closely related to the aesthetic of folk religions at the very beginning. Portrayals in the north of Shaanxi and the northwest of Shanxi were very popular in the Middle of Eastern Han Dynasty while many earlier religions were in ascendant. Buddhism, Taoism and other cultural features were widely spread. The development and aesthetic minds of portrayals were deeply affected by the beliefs of "the Goddess of Western Heaven/Kunlun Mountain", of Punishment, of the Buddhism, and of the folk religions in western regions. The early Chinese natural religions are one of main topics of those portrayals, but we cannot ignore other religious cultures and minds that concreted on the tiny shift of topics, patterns and models of portrayals.It is very hard to analyze the relationship between portrayal art and Taoism in Eastern Han Dynasty, for the complexity of the thought development and the foundation as independent religion. Portrayals of the north of Shaanxi and the northwest of Shanxi are affected a lot by many religions during the middle of Han Dynasty. It is very complicated and pluralistic. Some of them became typical symbols of Taoism system; others (which are scattered and non-systemic) may be affected by the development and spread of neo-Taoism, such as the legends of "Xi Wangmu not wear a Sheng", "scarlet Bird with Dan medicine in it's mouth", and "Not die medicine producing rabbit". However, those affections in portrayals are very scattered and non-systemic.The portrayals'beauty in form is contributed by metal, construction, color and skill. It is meaningful form which is supported by the development of social culture and thought, though it is following the rules of art itself. The choice of stones attributes to people's philosophy about life and death. And the construction of portrayals indeed expresses as the dual-corresponding model because Ying-yang is very popular in Han Dynasty. To be contrasted, the color is less related to the Ying-yang. It expresses as more free relationship between human vision and aesthetic consciousness. And the skill of portrayals embodied the model of cognition and mind of early human, and their understanding to the reality of world.The aesthetic type and model of portrayals of Han Dynasty is a kind of "line" style, called colony style, by which, in their drawing, people can avoid the misunderstanding aspects to focus on the objective topic that be grasped by everyone. Portrayal in Han Dynasty is a kind of symbolized art, and belongs to the model of magnificence in aesthetics, for its complexity and pluralism in skill and topic. The portrayal pattern named "scarlet Bird- gilt escutcheon with a ring" is very common in the north of Shaanxi and the northwest of Shanxi. It has three different steps which clearly illuminate the transform of artistic style and aesthetic consciousness of portrayals in Han Dynasty.After Han Dynasty, portrayals in funeral were decaying, but were not totally disappeared. On the other hand, as a kind of aesthetic, the portrayal exists with the development of folk religions aesthetic culture, and also impacts potentially on folk art. Sometimes, the tradition Chinese kirigami has the same topic and patterns as portrayals, such as "schema of Deer" and "schema of yin-yang", which provide reference and foundation for studies on portrayals after Han Dynasty.