Between Pitching: A Study Of The Combination Of Ancient Chinese Tortoise And Bird Image

The turtle and bird combination image is a specific image form in ancient China.It has a long history,an orderly heritage,and a rich content.In terms of its form and connotation,it went through four stages of development from prehistory to Ming and Qing dynasties.From prehistoric times to Shang and Zhou dynasties,turtles and birds began to appear in the same tombs,such as the combination of tortoise shells and bird bones,the combination of jade turtles and jade birds.At the same time,combined images of turtles and birds began to appear sporadically.Affected by primitive religions and witchcraft concepts,turtles and birds have divination and psychic functions.The combination of the two reflects the preliminary formation of the ancient world concept.From the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the Qin and Han Dynasties,the combined images of turtles and birds began to be finalized,and most of them were in the form of " a bird standing on the back of a turtle." At the same time,the Xuanwu and Zhuque in the Four Sacred Animal can also be regarded as a specific combination image of turtles and birds.In addition to the traditional view of heaven and earth,the turtles and birds at this time also showed a clear concept of yin and yang.From the Wei and Jin to the two Song dynasties,with the development and integration of Confucianism,Taoism,Buddhism and Buddhism,the combined images of turtles and birds have been given more complex ideological connotations.Elements of Confucianism,Taoism and Taoism often appear in the same combination of images This also reflects the integration of the three religions from one aspect.During the Yuan,Ming and Qing Dynasties,the combined images of turtles and birds generally entered the realm of secular life,with various forms of combination,and more expression vectors and richer themes.At this time,the combined images of turtles and birds are usually matched with some auspicious meanings of animal and plant patterns to jointly express people's yearning for a better life.The combined images of ancient Chinese turtles and birds show the historical changes of ancient Chinese thought between elevations.