Research On Brick Carving Arts Of Folk Ancestral Temple In Jinzhong,Shanxi During Ming And Qing Dynasties

As a memorial building,ancestral temple is not only a symbol of family status,but also a link to maintain blood relationship.The brick carving art embodies the family members’ yearning for a better life,and also shows the ethical and aesthetic implications of traditional Chinese culture.Jinzhong is located in the middle of Shanxi Province.Its rich regional features,profound cultural heritage,strong economy of Shanxi merchants and unique folk customs have given birth to a large number of clan ancestral halls.The artistic style of its brick carving is diversified,and its connotation is profound,which is of great research value.At present,the research on brick carving of folk ancestral halls in Jinzhong of Shanxi Province during Ming and Qing is less and not comprehensive.It is mainly placed in the ancestral hall building for the overall comb,rarely as an independent object,do targeted art research.Based on the existing literature review and a large number of on-the-spot investigation,this paper aims to summarize the development status,characteristics and influencing factors of brick carvings of folk ancestral halls in Jinzhong during Ming and Qing Dynasties,so as to explore its rich artistic value.Based on the natural geography,human environment and historical records,this paper has carried out a field survey on the folk ancestral temples in Jinzhong,Shanxi Province during the Ming and Qing Dynasties,It is found that the folk ancestral halls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Jinzhong are mainly built by the Shanxi merchants,and there is no obvious subdivision in the ownership of the ancestral halls.Brick carvings of folk ancestral halls in Jinzhong during Ming and Qing Dynasties have rich connotations and various styles,and often convey rich cultural functions.First of all,in the content expression,it presents the characteristics of the integration of Confucianism,business and official styles,and reflects the totem worship of primitive sacrifice,which has the meaning of metaphor and admonishment.The second is the brick carvings of praying for good fortune and good fortune,which is mainly based on many children and grandchildren,long life and family peace.The third is the brick carvings of official career,which is prayed for by rolling financial resources and prosperous official fortune.The fourth is other types of brick carvings.Brick carvings of ancestral halls in Jinzhong of Shanxi Province during Ming and Qing have rich artistic features.First of all,in terms of content expression,it has the meaning of metaphor and admonishment.Whether most brick carvings euphemistically express Confucian culture in content,or brick carvings with special plaques and couplets express their feelings with the help of semantics,which has far-reaching connotation.Secondly,in the form of technique,the technique of direct carving is usually used to show the rough vitality of the original,and the pursuit of paired form.Moreover,in terms of spatial distribution,brick carvings of ancestral temples often appear on the roof and wall,and there are special brick carvings of memorial archways,which achieve the regular and solemn decoration style of ancestral temples with mutual cooperation.Finally,in terms of philosophical charm,the ancestral temple brick carvings emphasizes the holistic view,in order to seek the perfect unity of internal clan culture and external decorative art.The stable artistic value of brick carvings in the folk ancestral halls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Central Shanxi is closely related to their deep influence on the Confucian ethics of "three cardinal guides and five constant principles","unity of heaven and man,beauty of symmetry and artistic conception" and "Shanxi Merchants Culture and folk belief" local culture.As a decorative art form,brick carving of folk ancestral halls in Jinzhong during Ming and Qing Dynasties not only shows the expectation of local families for a better life,but also reflects the development trend of Jinzhong under the multi-cultural interweaving and integration.