A Study On The Image Of The Guards Of Honor In The Northern And Southern Dynasties

It is one of the themes that have been popular in the decoration of high grade tombs since the Han Dynasty.During the Northern and Southern Dynasties,there was a significant change in the image of the guard of honor.The image in the tombs of the Southern Dynasties were decorated in the form of mosaic tiles as the main decoration on the two side walls of the coffin chamber,including horse riding warriors,umbrellas and fans,bands,oxcart and pommel horse.The guard of honor in the murals of the Northern Dynasties gradually separated from the oxcart,and was moved from the coffin chamber to the side walls of the tomb passage.The mainly content is armed infantry and on the side walls of the coffin chamber there are oxcart and pommel horse.In addition,the Grottoes murals,stone carvings and stone hall decoration of the Northern Dynasties also have the images of the guard of honor,which are generally umbrellas and fans,oxcarts,and pommel horse.The guard of honor used by the emperor,the aristocrats and the senior bureaucrats,also known as "Lu Bu",which is the symbol of dignity and status.According to the literature Lu Bu includes the carriage of the emperor and bureaucrats,flags,umbrellas and fans,bands and so on.It is an important part and concentrated expression of the dynastic ritual system.It is generally believed that the Lu Bu formed in the Qin andHan Dynasties,completed in the Western Jin Dynasty.After the Yongjia Riot,with the change of dynasties,ritual system changed,Han Jin Lu Bu system gradually lost its original state.In the image of the guard of honor of Huo Chengsi tomb in the Eastern Jin Dynasty,the ritual artifacts which on behalf of the central dynasty were placed on a wooden frame,and painted on the side of the defunct's portrait,but the real guard of honor consisted of minority nationality warriors.It reflects that under the rule of Huo Chengsi,the Nanzhong region still maintained the pattern of minority nationality forces,though they recognized the legitimacy of the central dynasty.In the Southern Dynasties,the guard of honor in the imperial mausoleum portrait bricks mainly consisted of horse riding warriors,halberd holding warriors,umbrellas and fans,and horse riding bands,which showing a strong homogeneity.The guard of honor in the Aristocratic tomb portrait bricks mainly consisted of women and oxcarts and riding men,rich flavor of life,which represent the scene of aristocratic daily life.In addition,the single brick form murals in some tombs,include Kuxi and military music,show the impact of the northern culture.The "Square Lu Bu" in the tombs murals of Northern Wei Dynasty is the results of the ritual reform during Tianxing period(398?404).Different guard of honor in the images of pray in Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes reflects the Lu Bu system has been perfected in late Northern Wei Dynasty,after absorbing the Lu Bu system of Southern Dynasties.And its applicative scope has extended from important ceremonial occasions like official ceremonies and funerals to small-scale private daily outing.The use class was aloso expansed from the emperor and senior bureaucrats which represent the upper class,to the middle and lower officials and grassroots society.The murals on the walls of tomb passage of the Wanzhang tomb represent the imperial rites of the Northern Qi Dynasty,in which both the traditional rituals of the Han and Jin Dynasties and the new system of the Northern Dynasties were included.The images of guard of honor in Northern Qi aristocratic tombs can be divided into two categories,one is the ceremonial queue,including bands,the other is oxcart and pommel horse.According to the identity of the defunct and the position of the tomb,the ceremonial queue assumes different characteristics.Oxcarts and pommel horse constitute the outing scene of the defunct together with the images of the ceremonial queue on the walls of tomb passage,these murals became the symbol of the defunct's identity and status.The tomb murals of the Northern Zhou Dynasty were all warriors armed with swords,reflecting the special ceremonial system of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.The Northern and Southern Dynasties between the Han and Tang dynasties,is the critical period that ancient Chinese culture has undergone a major change.Images of guard of honor as an important part of the tomb decoration of the Northern and Southern Dynasties is also an important way to understand the ritual system of this period.As a research object,it is helpful to explore the ritual system of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the mutual influence and interaction between the north and the south,so as to have a deeper understanding of the formation of the Sui and Tang dynasties.