The Study On The "Half-open Door" In Portrait Masonry Of Han Dynasty

This thesis studies the "Half-open door" in portrait masonry of Han Dynasty which is divided into four chapters:Chapter1is the introduction which not only account the social and cultural background but also summarize the evolution of tombs and portrait masonry of Han Dynasty. The Chapter looks back the previous research and learns from them a reasonable discussion with some possible flaws and shortcomings at the same time, then puts forward the importance of further research and the methods and ideas of this thesis.Chapter2cards the discovery of the "Half-open door" in portrait masonry of Han Dynasty. This thesis collects and classifies detailed existing archaeological data according to Sichuan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan four main found areas. On this basis, the portray carrier of the "Half-open door" in portrait masonry, which mainly can be divided into two categories-the underground tombs building which include grave wall, stone coffin and funerary objects and the ground burials building which include watchtower and ancestral halls, may not affect the unified research because they are Achieving a same thing through different performance.Chapter3is the re-interpretation of the "Half-open door" in portrait masonry of Han Dynasty. In the past, many research on the interpretation of the portrait masonry may result in some wrong understanding, Especially for the interpretation of buildings in the "Half-open door". In this context, the chapter raises four interpretation ideas to solve the problem of correct interpretation of architecture in portrait masonry. Secondly, we should study the buildings, people and activities related to the "Half-open door" in portrait masonry. As a result, watchtower, courtyard, hall, room are the highest frequency factors with related people and activities which express along the depth of the architectural space as a most important element of the buildings in Han Dynasty. Finally, ancient sites, burial pattern, image data in portrait masonry of Han Dynasty are used to confirm this idea that it is a one-to-one relationship between people and architectural space which is also documented in the relevant literature. Therefore, clues of the identity of the half man in portrait masonry become clear-male waiter lives in the front hall space, and then women waitress lives in room.The thesis points out some errors of the past research on the basis of the previous interpretation. First of all, the "Half-open door" is neither opening door or closing doors nor entirely entrance leading to wonderland. In addition, the half man should not be guard or owner of the tomb which cannot afford to lead to turn into immortal as well as meet or farewell. At last, the "Half-open door" highlights the focus perspective in Han Dynasty that the half man’s eyes focuses perspective space and the back side is a reverse perspective space, the half man and the "Half-open door"is the node which links the two spaces by guiding observation’s perspective covertly. This is also consistent with the laws we have summarized of that today.Finally, we speculate that the reason of the "Half-open door" appears is to make up for some shortcomings in portrait masonry about the expression of architectural space in the early time and getting used to express in a programmable way gradually.Chapter4is a summary of the above research that the re-interpretation by different unearthed regions and portray carriers come to a conclusion that the "Half-open door" implies different architectural space where with their status are closely linked. And the door is both a distinction between the boundaries of inside and outside and the different functions courtyard through expressing mixed sense of space and layering concept of order, which also make a distinction between the inner and outer world and ritual system space.At the same time, the "Half-open door" not only makes the picture lively but also reflects a contradiction that the space is closed but both open. This shows that the half man is concerned about the outside world, but he is in the door. The moment frozen by creators implies a gap of inside and outside space and identity in the door, which shows that the door is not easy to go beyond.Finally, this thesis sums up the significance and impact on the study of the society of Han Dynasty as well as the "Half-open door" in future generations.