Studies On The Development Of Flower Clture Shown On Chinese Bronzes

Flower culture is a very important part of the Chinese traditional cultures, having a profound cultural foundation and very distinctive ethnic flavor. It’s also an important aspect of the ornamental horticulture. A comprehensive study on the flower culture will be significant for the development of the ornamental horticulture and promotion of our traditional culture, though few people study about the flower culture in the Bronze Age, especially from the aspect of the bronze plant decoration. This paper deals with the study of bronze plant decoration and shape by analyzing abundant historical documents and first-handed physical data. It also has a preliminary research on the flower culture expressed by the bronze in chronological order, as well as an analysis of the background of its generation, it’s intension and affection. Here are the conclusions:1. The earliest appearance of Chinese flower culture can be dated back to the late Bronze Age. Based on literature review and on-the-spot-investigation, result is found as that flower material began to appear on bronze no later than the Shang Dynasty and continued to develop in the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the late Shang and the early Zhou Dynasty as well, the development of Chinese Bronze reached its first high peak. At this time, the four-petals pattern appeared in bronze, which reflected our ancestors’careful observation on flowers and their sophisticated handicraft level. Still in the late Shang Dynasty, certain plant patterns, such as lotus and mulberry, were imitated as special bronze shape. In the late West Zhou Dynasty, although Chinese bronze was going to recession, Chinese flower culture started to develop into a period of prosperity. Moreover, according to the analysis conducted by using collected material on bronze, it is known that flower material on bronze by then mainly included the four-petals pattern, the lotus pattern, and the cinquefoil pattern. Bronze utensils whose shapes were designed based on plants, such as bamboo, mulberry, flower stalk and others, were also a part of the bronze flower material. And most of these bronze were mainly sacrificial vessels designed with strong religious objective.2. As stated above, bronze flower material came up in the late Shang Dynasty and then developed to the summit during the Warring State period. The reasons for this situation were related to the good geographic environment, various plant resources, agriculture development, people’s recognition and utilization of flowers, open ideology, and developed bronze manufacture skills. Started from bronze flower or plant texture and its stereoscopic expression and based on the analysis of bronze flower culture’s expression pattern, this article was analyzed particularly from several aspects, such as geographic surroundings, agriculture development, the Man-Nature theory as well as old bronze manufacture skills. All the analysis came to conclusions that, for bronze flower culture, various natural environment was the geographic premise; stable agriculture was the economic base; Belief of "Subject-Human Integration and Life Consistent" was the philosophy foundation; and superb bronze manufacture skills were the direct impelling power.3. The Bronze Age is placed in the initial period of the bronze flower culture when worship of plant still had strong religious meaning for current people. The flower patterns on bronze during that time were also considered as extension of the primitive religious worship. To some extent, it also reflects the development of primitive agriculture and flower cultivation. The transformation from anima-facial texture to plant pattern on bronze demonstrates the changes on philosophy perception in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Humanity was freed in a timely manner and flower personification was formed brick by brick.Taking bronze plant decoration and flower shape as the starting point to study the development of flower culture on Chinese Bronzes can not only broaden our vision horizons, but also can break through existed culture studies. Furthermore, this paper would not just make up research blanks of flower culture shown on Chinese Bronzes. Meanwhile, it has important theoretical significance for comprehensive and systematic understanding for the development and features of flower culture in Chinese Bronzes Age.