The Study On The Origin Of Animal-shaped Decoration Of Dian Bronzes

The Animal-shaped decoration of Dian Bronzes attracts the attention of scholars because of its special style. Based on the former studies, and using the method of style analysis, this paper assorts the Animal-shaped decoration of Dian bronzes into six types and more sub-types. Then the origin of Animal-shaped decoration is discussed.The Animal-shaped decoration of Dian is strongly impacted by the bronze decoration of the belt of grasslands of northern China. Some Animal-shaped decoration of Dian has the direct influences of northern China, while others mix the factors of two cultures, and form a new style. So the exotic factors are an important clue to study the origin of animal-shaped decoration of Dian bronzes.This paper also discusses the nationality, which brings the exotic factors into Dian, and the course to Dian. It is important to study the nationalities relations and the culture communion in this area before Han Dynasty.