Tujia Nationality Woodcarving Classification

The Tujia is distributed in Wuling Mountain area, which adjoins Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, Guizhou has a rich forest resources. Forest resources provide congenital conditions for the origin of the Tujia woodcarvings. Tujia woodcarving not only witnessed the development of the Tujia folk arts and Crafts, also witnessed the Tujia economic and cultural development, as well as with alien cultural exchange and integration. It is a precious folkloristic handicraft both on practical and artistic.Viewed from present research current situation, many experts and scholars investigated and studied woodcarving from the perspective of Xiang Nan woodcarvings, Southeast Chongqing woodcarving, Xiang Chu woodcarving, Three Gorges woodcarving, Guizhou minority woodcarving. Woodcarving of these multi-ethnic mixed regions, including part of the Tujia woodcarving. However, there is little research on the Tujia woodcarving from the perspective of whole Tujia Nationality. For this reason, this study attempts to initiate preliminary exploration on the whole nation of Tujia.Based on field investigation and document analysis, the Tujia carvings background, origin, development, current status, significance of cultural inheritance and aesthetic development was discussed. This thesis is divided into’Introduction’,’historical and cultural background of the Tujia woodcarvings’,’The type of the Tujia woodcarvings’and ’Conclusion’sections. The first chapter introduces the topics of this study, the origin and significance of the topic, research purpose and methods, the definition and the review of research. The second chapter analyzes geographic and cultural environments of the Tujia nationality, to explore the origin of the Tujia woodcarvings. In the third chapter, the Tujia woodcarvings are described in detail in the following five aspects: Production time, techniques, themes, the use of the scope and function. Then found the artistic charm of rugged and romantic aesthetic styles, explain its cultural connotations which mainly for natural worship, polytheism, arid the good wishes of life, and also demonstrated the unique aesthetic views of the Tujia. The last part is conclusion, this study summarizes the status and functions of the Tujia woodcarvings in the modern life of Tujia people, the lack of research in this article, as well as the problems which still await investigation.The generations of the Tujia people choose unique subjects and styles of the woodcarving. It reflects the natural environment and social background of their lives. It also shows the development of the productive forces, economic, cultural and ideas of Tujia people in different historical periods. The Tujia woodcarving contains the thoughts and feelings of the Tujia woodcarvers, reflecting the aesthetic view and the values of the Tujia people. There are great significance on Tujia woodcarving, because it provides a valuable channel not just on our in-depth understanding of the Tujia art, but also on comprehensive mastering of the Tujia and the Chinese history.