Research On The Images Of Animals, Flowers And Birds In The Wall Paintings Of Wei And Jin Tombs In The Hexi Area

In the history of China,Wei-Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties is the era of Art.For the long war in central plains,the economy and culture were deeply damaged,and therefore the luxury funeral habitude was denied by ruling class which had been advocated by the emperors of Han Dynasty for hundred years.To economize the fortune,Cao cao gave the order that his tomb must be very simple and unadorned,he even had no symbol of his grave like headstone or altar.This background made the central plains rarely had mural paintings on tombs.Hexi Corridor saved this culture for it's special economy and natural environment that we can learn the truth about Art in that era.The dominion of Hexi belonged to ancient China since Han Dynasty,and this situation sustained till the end of Wei-Jin.The researches to those tombs mostly focused on the history and archaeology,there are many particular studies about the tomb's time,the building 's technology and implications of decorations,and speculate the features of that time.There are less studies about the paintings and still have some issues about the implications of paintings.There are many records about paintings of flowers and birds in traditional Chinese style,but we can't know what were they look like on account of lack of entity materials.There were several painters who were good at livestock and birds in the Han Dynasty.More professional painters appeared in Wei-Jin,but they still not very interested in flowers.According to the Poem of LuLingGuang palace,there was a tradition in Han Dynasty which was paint lotus in Sunk panel,ancient Chinese believed that this kind of flowers had magic can help buildings to avoid fire disaster,but it wasn't considered as"paintings",it was more like a witchcraft tool.When compared flowers with plants which can provided people food and clothes,flowers was less useful.The pattern of flowers usually symbolize the Reproduction worship and played important roles in many poems and witchcraft activities.After the prosperity of Buddhism,flowers started became the aesthetic objects.There are many images belonged to Paintings of flowers and birds in traditional Chinese style like mythical creatures,eagles,dogs,horses,goats,cows,parrots,swallows and other birds,and some are plants like mulberry and lotus.The skill and color was very simple,but full of passion and excitement.Analyze those images can help us understand the culture of China and history of Chinese traditional art.Though those tombs separated in different regions and belong to different times,there is a common point in color.Most of them was painted by red color,this feature might have relations with the story of KunLun Mountains in ancient China.Most themes of paintings were from Han Dynasty's tombs,at the same time,they have their own styles.Most of paintings are realism,but the dynamics are very romantism.The role played by flowers and birds were developing into more artistic than being the tool in Wei-Jin Dynasties,the connotation of them were more simple and pure,compositions of these pictures also shows the independence of flowers and birds.