Study On Styles Of Ancient Chinese Utensils

This thesis studies on the style of ancient Chinese utensils and discusses its progress and therules therein. In ancient China, style is one of the important issues in the modeling design of utensils.In certain region or era, while a group of utensils have similar styles but much different than theothers, this group can be regarded as a specific style with their common characteristic. For ancientChinese utensils, style is an important factor retaining the modeling design and the importantguarantee maintaining the artistic merit and value in use as well. This thesis consists of fourchapters.According to the situation in which the style category of ancient Chinese utensils had macrodevelopment and based on the construction of framework, the first chapter is divided into six mainphases: initiation and rise (Neolithic Age), sacrificial vessel (Xia, Shang and the Western Zhoudynasties), applicability and trend of unity (from the Spring and Autumn to Qin And Han Empire),diversification and mixture (from Late Han Dynasty to Sui and Tang dynasty), combination offarming and grazing nations (from the Five Dynasties to Yuan Dynasty) and maturity andfinalization (Ming and Qing dynasties). Through the analysis of above six-phase developmentsituation, this thesis concludes the progress that ancient Chinese utensils referred to the style ofCentral Plains Han and integrated the ethnic and foreign styles ceaselessly.The second chapter analyzes the inherent logical relationship between style and its correlativefactors. The applicability determines the archetype of ancient Chinese utensils, limits their variationand pushes forward their continuous improvement. The political factors exert a tremendousinfluence on the sacrificial vessels and high-graded utensils; the workshop production muchdiversifies their styles; also the patterns of cooperation and succession as well as the productattribute of utensil have a certain impact on style. The raise of technology will push the innovation ofstyles, and meanwhile contribute to different styles; the ideology represents the cultural backgroundtoward a certain utensil style; religion significantly influences the diffusion and change of utensilstyle. A utensil style comes into being and stretches in the specific daily life and customs.The third chapter describes the production, record, diffusion and revolution of ancient utensilstyles, especially clarifies their derivation, record, diffusion and exchanges. The derivation contains the imitation or example on images, adjustment of adjuncts, total or partial structure variation andsplicing. The literal / graphic records and studies are mainly about the official literal / graphicrecords and epigraphic records by the scholars. The exchange and integration of utensil stylesinclude the vertical and horizontal transfers in plenty of materials across China and the world.The fourth chapter specially selects two types of utensils–bowls without adjuncts and potswith adjuncts, to make case analysis on the styles and pedigrees of ancient Chinese utensils. Basedon the two of the most common utensils, this chapter summarizes the style evolution of the totalstructures and adjuncts, as well as the logical relationship between each correlative factor, and alsoestablishes a series of pedigree charts.In short, as a material civilization in all Chinese civilization patterns, the ancient Chineseutensils can difficultly change their styles by surrendering the primary form, but are symbolized theunique regularity of utensil style development. Ancient Chinese utensils belong to a material carrierof Chinese culture and are also the products throughout the evolutionary history of Chinesecivilization. Moreover, the"Unity in Diversity"structure and interconnection framework alsodetermine the primordial general characteristic of ancient Chinese utensil styles.