"Tao" Carried By "Pattern": A Study Of The Four Gods Pattern In Han Dynasty As Media And Information

The four gods pattern is a typical animal art pattern in Chinese traditional culture,which has its own characteristics in pattern composition.In the past,the study of the four gods pattern mainly focused on the fields of history,archaeology,art and so on,but the interpretation from the perspective of communication is still rare.Based on the media theory represented by McLuhan,this research takes the four-god pattern of the Han Dynasty as the research object,interprets the media function of the four-god pattern,grafts the relevant knowledge of history,Archaeology and art with the theory of communication in this study,explains the media and communication attributes of the four gods pattern from the perspective of "media is information" and "the extension of human spiritual consciousness" as a medium.The paper draws the following conclusions: Firstly,the four gods pattern as a medium is the extension of the ancient space-time view and security view;secondly,the four gods pattern shape reflects the information of life worship and totem worship;thirdly,the four gods pattern as a medium and information has gradually weakened after the introduction of Buddhism and the progress of astronomical science and technology.This study attempts to combine the decorative form of the four gods pattern with its inherent meaning,verify the unearthed cultural relics from literature,so as to avoid the one-sidedness and limitation brought by pure literature analysis.The whole study,from the perspective of the pan-media theory of the media ecology,and and based on the theoretical standpoint of McLuhan's "message theory" and "extension theory",is attempting to establish a connection between the four gods and communication,thus to explore its special functions as a medium.It also emphasizes the media and cultural value embodied in the process of transmission of the four gods pattern,taking which as the main line to discuss the social culture and national spirit of the Han Dynasty at that time,and treats dialectically the interaction between the "pattern" and "Tao".