The Formation And Evolution Of The Image Of Animal-faced Ornament On Doors In Han Dynasty

Animal-faced (holding a metal ring in the mouth) ornament on doors(AFOD)is a traditionalornament on doors in China. It can be found in every portrait stone area all over the country. Itwas carved by artisans of Han dynasty on the doors, walls, pillars and stony coffins in theunderground tombs, which is known as portrait stone in Han Dynasty (PSHD). Image of AFODwas ardently loved by people in Han Dynasty, but so for it hasn't yet been systematically sortedand analyzed in the academic field.According to two major clues of image formation evolution and connotation developmentevolution, this paper explicitly presents the development of image of AFOD and verifies itsformation and evolution, by sorting and analyzing those carved on PSHD. It mainly includes thefollowing: arrangement of its pedigree; analysis of its function and cultural significance whencombined with other different images; textual researches on historical origin of AFOD; dialecticrelationship with Tao Tie, a mythical ferocious animal; summary of its trend in evolution.It finally comes to the conclusion that image of AFOD among PSHD comprehensivelyreflect Animal-face patterns (AFP) and carving arts of the previous dynasty. Image of AFODundergoes a whole process of formation from embryonic form of Animal-face patterns inprimitive society to Animal-face patterns holding a metal ring (AFPH) on utensils in Shang-ZhouDynasty and unearthed skulls of rhinoceroses on the YinRuins, An Yang, Henan province; toAFPH on earthen wares and jade wares in large quantities during Spring-Autumn and theWarring states periods; and finally the coexistence of AFPH on utensils periods; and finally thecoexistences of APH on utensils and AFOD. Archaeological data of facts however can not provethe specific date when AFPH on utensils came to be AFOD. Therefore, it simply can bespeculated that AFOD was separated from decorative patterns on many utensils as specialornament for doors, developing with AFOD on utensils before Han Dynasty.The researches in this paper can correct some inaccurate understanding of AFOD andprovide with detailed information as well as theoretical grounds for the studies of PHSD andvarious aspects in Han Dynasty.