A Research On The Mysterious Creatures Image Of Mawangdui Number 1 Tomb

Mawangdui Han Tomb is a sensational archaeological discovery in China in the1970 s.It is like a time machine to lead us to understand(discover)the social life in the early Han Dynasty which includes status,religion as well as social customs and etiquettes.One of the tombs,Mrs.Xin,has four layers of lacquer coffins,the lacquer paintings on the coffins are mysterious and imaginative,opening up new horizons for researchers who focus on the tomb art.This paper mainly discusses the coffin with painted design on black/red lacquer coating(Western Han Dynasty)in the four-layer lacquer coffins,especially the image of mythical creatures.Based on a lot of relevant literature,comprehensive comparison as well as carry on on-the-spot investigation to analyze the selection of artworks,and their themes,the inspiration of design,and the combination of diverse mythical creatures,summarize the meaning of mythical creatures which commonly used in funeral ceremony,and the concept of the soul(spirit)in the early Han Dynasty.This paper consists of an introduction and four chapters: the introduction(includes the research background that prompted me to study the mythical creatures figures in Mawangdui,research significance,domestic and foreign research status as well as existing problems)aiming to in-depth research in the following texts.the second chapter sorts out the tombs of Mawangdui Han Tomb,includes the identity of the tomb and the shape of the tomb.The generation of images can not be separated from circumstance,historical background and funeral custo.Starting from a macroscopic perspective,it is helpful to explore the deep meaning of images.The third chapter will be the highlight of this paper.It will analyzes the image system constructed by the No.1 lacquer tomb,and the source of the mysterious creatures painting on the black painted lacquer,and the lacquer painting on the red lacquer coating coffin with the composition of dragon,tiger,bird,deer and other spiritual creatures separately,which is aiming to reveal the cultural meaning behind these creatures images.The fourth chapter conclude the research results of the previous chapter,analyzes the social thoughts and historical values reflected in the image of the lacquer painting in the early Han Dynasty,reveals some multi-cultures such as the Chuwu(Chu Magician),the faith of the Taoist.In the end,to discuss the aesthetic taste of the aristocratic class and points out the real folk customs reflected by these images at the beginning of Han Dynasty.