Research On Weapons Of Dunhuang Frescoes

There are a certain number of weapons image in the Dunhuang frescores.As far as the attacking weapons,mainly included spear,broadsword,sword,bow and arrow.There are also a small number of ji,axe,pestle,hammer,hook and so on.In terms of the recurring situations,this weapons are mainly drew in the Buddhist story painting in the Northern Dynasties and the paintings from buddhism since the Tang Dynasty.Spear is a fighting weapon with long pole,which have most widely used in the ancient battlefield and experiences a longest time.In the Dunhuang frescores spear reflects in the “Depiction of the avadana story of Five Hundred Robbers” in the Mogao cave 285(Western Wei)and in the cave 296(Northern Zhou),which on the other side confirmed that the spear was the main weapon of the cavalries in the wars of the time.Besides that,in the frescoes of the Mogao caves 332,217,156 and other caves(Tang Dynasty)also have the images of spear.Broadsword and sword are the most common fighting weapons with a short handle in ancient times.In ancient China,as a combat weapon,sword was used earlier than the broadsword.To the Han Dynasty,a thin bladed broadsword with a thick ridge is suitable for sabrecut and not easy to break off,for this reasons it gradually replaces the status of the sword on the battlefield.In the “Depiction of the avadana story of Five Hundred Robbers” in the Mogao cave 285(Western Wei)robbers were used the ring broadswords since the Western Han Dynasty.As a status symbol sword continued to pass down.In the Dunhuang frescores,especially in the scenes of the Buddha preaching of the paintings from buddhism since the Tang Dynasty weapons,which Bodhisattvas were held,were usually sword.Ji is a fighting weapon with long pole in ancient times,which has outstanding national characteristics.Our sages creatively fitted spear and dagger-axe together,making ji both have function pull back and straight gear.In the pre-qin period ji widely used in actual combat,which peaked in Wei-jin period,even got a reputation "hero among five weapons".Since the Northern Dynasties ji started to fade and apart from actual combat.During this period the construction of the Mogao Caves stated.So we find that in the Dunhuang frescores the ji is mainly reflects in Painting of Bishamonten,which was held by the Bodhisattvas like a weapon with long pole.This reflects the ji has deep impact on people and Buddhism was further chinesized at that time.Bow and arrow were called the king of the cold weapons.With range capabilities It dominated ancient battlefield.In the Dunhuang frescores bow and arrow were the weapons,which were most drew.There were mainly scene of hunting,shooting at a target and fighting with bow and arrow.Scene of hunting with bow and arrow was appeared mainly in depicting scenes from Jataka stories,scene of shooting at a target--in Paintings Illustrating the Life of the Buddha and scene of fighting--in "Happily-Dwelling Conduct" of the Lotus Sutra illustration.Some other small number of weapons such as ax,pestle,hammer and other weapons are mainly appeared in the caves since the late Tang Dynasty.Through arrangement and research on above-mentioned weapons image of Dunhuang frescoes,we got three initial inspirations: first,weapons image of Dunhuang frescoes are very important in the history of Chinese weapons,have a high status,even fill in gaps in some areas;second,it deepen understanding of the weapons;third,through weapons image in frescoes,especially through scene of fighting realize the recognition of the wars in Northern Dynasties,Sui and Tang dynasties.