| The lion image is a characteristic and significant element in the cave frescoes of the Western Xia Dynasty.In the mural paintings of tangut,lions are never the main part of the mural,but they are an essential part of some specific themes.In the numerous murals of Manjusri changes in the Western Xia Period,the lions on horseback in various shapes are worthy of careful observation and study.Among the numerous caisson decoration patterns,the lion pattern often corresponds to the white elephant and the peacock pattern,appearing at the top of the vault and between the frescoes.Along with the evolution of the Tangut Dynasty,the painting methods of lions in mural paintings have been improved,from the stereotyped,dull and repetitive shapes,to various shapes,exquisite and vivid.The changes of lion patterns in mural paintings of Tangut also indicate the gradual improvement of art level of Tangut from imitation to creation.Through the in-depth study of the social connotation behind the lion image,we explore a broad picture of the development of cultural integration in the Song and Yuan dynasties.Based on the role of the xixia grottoes murals in the lion image,aesthetic,technique,composition,color and meaning of the detailed analysis,confirm the xixia art in widely absorbed,Indian Buddhism,Tibetan Buddhism huihe buddhist,central China,on the basis of succeeding to the fresco art style of the tang dynasty,and actively learn the concept of zhongyuan literati paintings,in nearly two hundred years of hone gradually formed its own unique set of artistic style.It further reflects the inclusive and unique cultural development of the Western Xia civilization.At the same time,the comparative analysis of lion images in the grotto frescoes of the Tangut Period is also helpful for us to further study the Tangut culture,religious belief and society of the Tangut period,so as to make up for the gaps in the historical study of the Tangut period. |
