The Research Of The Phoenix Decorative Pattern On The Chu State Lacquer Wears Of Warring States Period

China is the birthplace of the world's lacquering arts and crafts. The history that China created and used lacquer wares derived from the Hemudu Culture (about 7000 years ago) in the Neolithic Age till now. So, with regard to the research on lacquer wares, we can hardly say it is blank and void, but it is truly a fact that this kind of research obviously falls behind the research on bronze wares, earthen wares and jade wares. Large-scale of researches are being carried on only when the archaeological discoveries are constantly emerging during the recent forty or fifty years.In terms of the development of Chinese lacquering arts and crafts, the first prosperity in history occurred in the period of the Warring States and it was continuously kept prosperous till Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty's lacquer wares witnessed standardization and formation because of the unity of the country. While the Qin Dynasty had so short a history, thus was only considered as a transition period in the process of lacquer wares development. During the period of the former Qin Dynasty (the Warring States and before), it appeared to be a condition of liberalization and diversification. So, it will have a great significance to investigate and study the Warring States lacquer wares in order to make clear its development clues.1. Research backgroundThe lacquer wares of the Warring States far exceeded the ones of previous times in all aspects, including production, variety, making and distribution. And the great majority of the Warring States lacquer wares came from the Chu tombs. The Chu State is the country with the vastest territory during the Warring States period. Among the excavated tombs this time, the Chu tombs accounted for the greatest amount. In other word, the lacquer wares excavated in the Chu State represented the Warring States lacquer wares.In the research of the Chu lacquer wares, the decorative patterns have not yet been paid much attention to, while the phoenix pattern is exactly one of the most important and abundant decorative patterns on those Chu State lacquer wares.2. Research contextWith regard to the research on phoenix patterns on the Chu State lacquer wares, on one hand, we need put it into the historical background of the Chu Culture, on the other hand, phoenix is a kink of auspicious spiritual bird which had different images, functions and meanings in different periods of historical time. In addition, opinions were widely divided on its origin, original shape or image, especially in the former Qin Dynasty. The images of phoenix on the Chu State lacquer wares also experienced a long-term process of selection and development.3. Research characteristic (The article's innovation spot is as follow)Since phoenix is a kind of legend image, which had the characteristic of uncertainty. We can't help asking: What is the essential distinction between phoenix pattern and other bird patterns? Horizontally, during the certain historical period of the Warring States, what are the differences and relations between phoenix patterns in the Chu State and the ones in other places? Vertically, as a part of the Chu Culture, what cause and effect it had experienced for the phoenix patterns? All these questions are the research focus the paper tries to find out.