On The Myths Of Fu Xi Han Tomb Painting

This essay is to study the myths of Fuxi and Nüwa depicted in the Han tomb paintings. Taking the silk paintings and murals discovered in the Han tombs as research materials, the study tries to establish a development line of Fuxi's and Nüwa's images by systematically analyzing the regional and stylistic characteristics of the paintings and to interpret the paintings' cultural significance of the time with a proper consideration of the society and culture in which they emerged. Moreover this essay study the special artistic function of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa and it's mythological meaning. This essay includes introduction, seven chapters , conclusion and an appendix.Introduction divide into three parts, the first and second ones gives a general overview of which reviews history on the study of the paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa. The third elaborates on the target and the ways of approaching the problem.The first chapter trace back the dawn of the myths of Fuxi and Nüwa, and seeks the fountainhead of the image of Fuxi and Nüwa. In my views, Nüwa is the Grandmother and Fuxi is the cultural Hero, and they found the Antithesis relation between the The Period of Warring States and the Early Han Dynasty.The second,third and forth chapter are descriptions and analyses on the myths of Fuxi and Nüwa in which the second one is to concentrate on the silk paintings and frescos, the third one places extra emphasis on the stone inscriptions(paiting stones, paiting bricks) classified by four zones of Shangdong, Henang, Sichuang, Shanbei. This kind of classification analyzes and illuminates the paintings which have distinct regional characteristics or disputable image. The forth one is dealing with the timely spreadings and influences of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa after Han dynasty.The fifth chapter is iconographical studis of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa. The study is to summarize the basic and core images includes the human head with a serpent body, sun, moon, measuring devices, the regional images includes ganodermaes and good harvest, the succursal images includes the four gods, goddes of west, the god of east and the gate of heaven.The sixth chapter discusses the artistic function of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa. the chapter studies funeral customs and cultural psychology of the Han dynasty, base which to analyzes basic function of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa what is blessing, coordination between the Yin and the Yang, and become immortal.The seventh chapter expounds mythological meaning of the study of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa. First part of the chapter illustrates documentary value of the Han paintings, The second ones studies transformations and the reconstructions of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa by the thoughts of the Han. The third one discusses influence of the folkloric culture in which emphasis otherness and" revise" of the folklore by folk craftsman, The forth part indicates some problems of the current studies of utilizing the materials of the Han paintings.The appendix is the tabulation of paintings of Fuxi and Nüwa unearthed in the various regions of China.