| The Tang Dynasty is a confident and open era,when politics,economy and culture are in a highly prosperous stage,in the meanwhile,it is also an significant and necessary turning-point in Chinese history and culture.From the stage to make a general survey of between economy and culture,with an endless stream of caravans from various countries,the Silk Road ushered into a golden age;what’s more,being a major and rare material of the Silk Road trade,silk prompted the Tang Dynasty to transform into the center of world trade.Apart from the initial material requirements or supplies,silk also carried the spiritual sustenance,which became the embodiment of people’s thoughts,emotions and aesthetic interests during that period.Under such a communicated background of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries,the silk patterns of the Tang Dynasty took on a new appearance and prospect,showing the trend and characteristics of integrating domestic and international silk arts and technologies.These changes are the consequences of the communication between Chinese and foreign civilizations.This integration in cultural exports and imports is not simply and easily transplanted,instead of bidirectionally interactive recombination process,foreign elements colliding with the dominant local cultures,which make foreign elements gradually sinicized.In this thesis,taking the silk patterns of the Tang Dynasty as the starting point,I present and analyze the foreign elements which were introduced into the Tang Dynasty,and discuss the evolutionary process and meaning from a certain viewpoint in the Sinicization of foreign elements on the silk patterns.Firstly,the thesis combs the historical background of foreign exchanges in the Tang Dynasty from the perspectives of politics,economy,transportation and culture;Secondly,according to the foreign cultures being introduced into the Tang Dynasty,analyzing the influence resulted from what kinds of cultures on the silk pattern,I explore its internal causes;Thirdly,by sorting out the well-known silk patterns of the Tang Dynasty,classifying and tracing the foreign themes,I focus on the patterns having been retained and used by the Tang Dynasty,and deeply acknowledge the process and transformed concept in the Sinicization of these patterns as well as the influence of the foreign elements of Sinicization has an effect on the culture of the Tang Dynasty;Finally,the thesis summarizes the contemporary value of the Sinicization of foreign elements.The research shows that the Sinicization of foreign elements on silk patterns in the Tang Dynasty reflects the diversity,inclusiveness and innovation of Chinese culture.Lingyang Gong Xiang,Baoxiang flower,Tang grass and other patterns are the new styles brought by the Sinicization of foreign elements.They have become the representative of the characteristic silk patterns of the Tang Dynasty and promoted the innovation and development of silk decoration in the Tang Dynasty.On the other hand,the Tang Dynasty faced foreign culture with strong cultural confidence.Foreign elements were absorbed and innovated by the strong Chinese culture in the process of development,and finally evolved into a part of the Chinese cultural community.The changes of silk patterns in the Tang Dynasty reflect that Chinese culture has always released goodwill to different civilizations in the process of historical development,and finally formed a benign cultural form.In a sense,it benefits from this cultural blending and interaction,which has a long-term impact in a broader space and time. |
