A Study On The Artistic Features Of The Twenty-eight Gods Of Stars At The Jade Emperor Temple Injincheng, Shanxi Province

In Jincheng, Shanxi province, there is a Jade Emperor Pagoda, which is built inthe Song Dynasty, and preserves the colored statues of twenty-eight gods of starswhich are so highly realistic that it is very difficult to find counterparts in the artistichistory of China. The statues are of unique features in the art of Taoism. The statuesown distinctive characteristics and graphic language, forming a “highlyrealistic”artistic feature. Coming from the tradition of Taoism, the statues are full ofprofound contents, strict layout, boldly way of thinking, vivid characterization andunlimited grandeur. As the combination of the Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism andTaoism, the statues are endowed with the unique cultural characteristics from theSong Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty. They take on the advantages of different schools,and would not be confined by the religious bondage. All of the factors of the languageof the sculpture art, including aesthetic thinking, modeling style, artistic features,aesthetic ideals, and cultural connotations are well united. The further study of thestatues would be helpful in finding the meaning and exploring the possibilities ofdevelopment of the traditional Chinese realistic sculptures in the context of thecontemporary culture and enriching the techniques in the field. Through analyzing,discussing and studying the artistic features and artistic styles of the statues, we canexplore the aesthetic value and meaning of the works and reveal the humanistic careand artistic characteristics.