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Study Of The Song Dynasty Tombs Decorated

Posted on:2007-10-11Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:X N HanFull Text:PDF
GTID:1115360185484120Subject:Archaeology and Museology
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the decoration of ancient Chinese tombs among the archaeologists and art historians. The tomb decoration of Song times marks another climax, posterior to the development achieved during Han and Tang times. The dilemma scholars encounter now is that relevant studies have far lagged behind the wealth of archaeological materials. This dissertation attempts to analyze the regionalism as well periodization of Song tombs on the basis of a systematic study of tomb sculpture and mural. Furthermore, within the temporal-spatial framework thus constructed, the dissertation summarizes the distinctive features exemplified in each region and period, traces the origins of these feature, and finally, seen together with the ancient texts and other visual materials, conducts an in-depth reading of some decorating images typical of the time. The ultimate goal of the dissertation is to lay a foundation for further research regarding the role that tombs played in Song cultural and social practice.Given the wide time span it has included, this dissertation has the following methodological considerations: One, it uses traditional archaeological typology to categorize the raw materials in order to look for the temporal as well as regional variations. What follows is a study of regional distribution and periodization. I take the goal of this stage of research to be constructing a basic yet necessary temporal-spatial platform for further research; second, in conjunction with textual studies, the dissertation analyzes the development and varied origins of Song tomb decoration; third, the dissertation adopts art historical methods such as iconography/iconology to read the meaning and function of decorative motifs for the purpose of reconstructing the relationship between decorative motifs and tombs themselves and between images and funerary rites; finally, it links the tomb to the larger Song social and cultural phenomena, hoping to contribute on-going cultural studies of the Song society.The dissertation consists of eight sections.In the preface, I introduce the topical relevance of a study on Song tombs, the subjects as well as goal of the study, and methodology.In chapter one, I first survey the discoveries of brick, stone and mural tombs of the Song. A brief historiography is to follow. 240 tombs that have been published up to date have been included in the dissertation, most of which have been opened in the past three decades. Some are considered...
Keywords/Search Tags:the Song Dynasty, Tomb Decoration, Regionalism and Periodization, Origin, function and meaning
PDF Full Text Request
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