Today is a day that is drowned out by various blessings with the word "tiger".
Golden Tiger Into the Treasure, Spirit Tiger Sends Blessings, Tiger Tiger Vitality, Such as Tiger Wings, Living Dragon Live Tiger, Dragon Essence Tiger Fierce, Dragon Tenghu Leaping, Tiger Step Dragon Line...
This running gold leaf tiger comes from the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan, and was excavated from the Sanxingdui No. 1 Sacrifice Pit, and it is a proud tiger at first glance.
As an important part of traditional Chinese culture, whether it is a tiger in nature or a tiger materialized by power and power, it has always been revered and loved by people, and now it has become a representative word for cuteness and cuteness. From the fierce tiger to the cute tiger, behind the gradual evolution of the tiger image, what has changed is the adaptation and change of people's adaptation to nature with the improvement of understanding and skills, and what has not changed is the sincere wish of people to avoid evil and pray for goodness from the heart.
Totems that are worshipped
In the Oracle and Gold Scripts, the word "tiger" is a vivid hieroglyph in which tiger claws and tiger teeth that intimidate humans are highlighted. The Western Zhou bronze tiger gui [guǐ], now in the Shanghai Museum, is inscribed with a pictographic tiger character, which is supposed to be the clan of the maker.
The tiger character in the oracle bone
Since ancient times, dragons and tigers have been worshipped as gods. Compared with the fantasy dragon, the tiger, as a real species that can be observed by the ancients, its unique personality and absolute strength at the top of the animal food chain have become the totem of many tribes and are worshipped.
Rock paintings related to tigers have been found in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu and other places. Among them, the "Five Tiger Diagrams" found in Yin Mountain reflect the ancient people's yearning and worship of the majestic temperament of the tiger.
In 1987, excavations along the west slope of Puyang, Henan Province, unearthed a pair of mussels and dragons and tigers, dating back about 6,000 years. The pattern of this tiger made of mussel shells, accompanied by a human skeleton, is believed to be the earliest tiger image found in domestic archaeology.
Tiger bone remains have been excavated at the site of Lingjiatan in Hanshan, Anhui (5600-5300 years ago), as well as the Jade Tiger Shouhuang and the Jade Double Tiger Shouhuang. Among them, the jade double tiger head Huang, each end of the huang has a tiger head, with a yin line relief carved out of the eyes, nose, mouth, ears and brain door wrinkles and forward claws, Huang on the yin carved pattern to show the tiger's spots, unique shape, like a tiger on the mountain.
There are many tiger images on bronzes, which is also a confirmation of the worship of tigers by the ancients.
The Warring States Bronze Tiger Button collected by the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing is large in shape, thick in shape and excellent in sound quality, and has the reputation of "Hammer in the King". It is an ancient percussion instrument and is the most characteristic bronze instrument of the Pakistani culture. The upper button is a fierce tiger with teeth and wings, which is extremely vivid and is another important physical evidence of the worship of tigers by the Ba people.
Double-tailed Bronze Tiger (Collection of Jiangxi Provincial Museum)
The Shang Dynasty Double-tailed Bronze Tiger, now in the Collection of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, is the largest surviving pre-Qin bronze tiger, excavated in 1989 in Oceania, Xingan County, Jiangxi Province. The tiger's head is level-eyed, its mouth is open and its teeth are exposed, its fangs are long, its eyes are rounded and convex, its eyebrows are thick and horizontal, its ears are erect, its back is a bird, its abdomen is slightly droopy, its abdomen is empty, and its tail is curled, and it is in a crouching posture. It expresses the divinity of the tiger and the admiration of the tiger by man to the extreme, which can be described as the king of the tiger and the soul of the tiger.
The bronze tiger hammer currently on display at the National Museum of China, with a folded shoulder jar belly, shaped like a teapot, is decorated with tiger patterns on the top, and the top of the lid is a tiger body dragon tail beast, the overall shape is dignified and elegant, and the pattern is exquisite. According to experts, it is likely to be a ceremonial instrument used in ritual ceremonies. The ancients of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties attached importance to sacrifice, and the ritual vessels of the tiger image carried important religious significance.
Tiger on bronze
Shang Zhou ceremonial vessels became more and more exquisite, and many bronzes with tiger stripes or tiger shapes appeared. Among the bronzes unearthed in the Yin Shang period, there are not only independent bronze tiger sculptures, but also tiger stripes, tiger shaped vessels, and tiger ornaments are also common.
The Shanghai Museum's collection of early Spring and Autumn Zi Zhongjiang plate, the inner wall of the abdomen cast inscription six lines and thirty-two characters, records that the beginning of June, the auspicious Xinhai Day, the master for his wife Zhongjiang to make this wash plate, the plate is large and good, used to pray for longevity, children and grandchildren to use forever. Shallow abdomen circle foot, circle foot under the three-headed three-headed reptile tiger, the side of the tiger body and the edge of the circle foot.
The Western Han Dynasty Eight Niu Shell Vessel, now in the Shanghai Museum, is a landmark artifact that reflects the bronze characteristics of the Dian culture. Shell vessels are unique to the Yunnan ethnic group in bronze, and cattle and tigers are common decorative themes. The whole of the vessel is corseted and cylindrical, and the lid is cast with a large cow and seven calves. At the waist are two tiger-shaped ears, and the shape of the tiger is mighty and the tiger is eyeing.
Among the many subjects, the appearance of tiger-eating figures on a number of bronze heavy objects has aroused various conjectures in the world.
The heaviest excavated bronze vessel known in China so far is the mother of the post-pengding, with rich patterns, different shapes and variations. One of the most eye-catching is the mysterious "Double Tiger Man-Eater" diagram, which is mouth-to-mouth and majestic.
The Bronze Bronze Statue of dragon and tiger stripes of the Shang Dynasty, now in the National Museum of China, was excavated in Funan, Anhui Province in 1957. The tiger cannibal pattern on the abdomen of the bronze figure is centered on the relief tiger head, with both left and right bodies, and a person in the mouth. People have no crown and are decorated with patterns. The axially symmetrical approach represents the complete image and majestic body of the tiger. Some experts believe that the "tiger mouth title" sculpted on the Dragon and Tiger Zun means "tiger fang", which may be related to the tiger fangguo. Perhaps the ruins of Taijia Temple are a part of the migration process of the Tiger Fang Kingdom.
There are similar tiger-eating figures on bronze cymbals excavated from the tomb of Women Hao in Anyang, Henan, and on the abdomen of the late Spring and Autumn bird and beast dragon pattern pot excavated in Liyu Village, Hunyuan, Shanxi. Bronze artifacts related to this subject, the tiger cannibal (yǒu) have attracted much attention.
Today, the bronze tiger-eating man-eater, which is now hidden in the Whole House Bokokan in Japan, is a three-dimensional image of a tiger-eating man. The strange thing is that the person who is held by the tiger's claw has a calm expression on his face, his arms are on the tiger's arms, and his feet are on the tiger's feet. Some experts said that this kind of tiger cannibalism may be taken from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" that the tiger eats ghosts and ghosts to deter evil spirits. At present, only two bronze tigers with complete tiger and human shapes have survived, and the other was purchased by the Senucci Museum in Paris, France in 1920, which is one of the treasures of the museum.
A symbol of strength and power
Because the image of the tiger is majestic, it has been used since ancient times to symbolize the bravery and strength of soldiers, such as tiger generals, tiger ministers, tiger soldiers and so on. The image of the tiger is also particularly featured in related military supplies. In the Spring and Autumn Warring States and Qin and Han Dynasties, the tiger charm made of the image of the tiger was the most well-known as a souvenir of dispatching troops.
The Du Hu Symbol, which is in the Collection of the Shaanxi History Museum, is the earliest Chinese soldier symbol found so far. The appearance is a mighty tiger, with its head held high, its tail curled, its back bent into a groove, and the tiger's body is engraved with inscriptions, which are still clearly recognizable after more than two thousand years: the rune of the armor, the right is in the jun, the left is in the Du, the van Xingshi is armored, the use of more than fifty soldiers, will be a king's rune, but dare to do it, burn the thing, although the mother will be a symbol, fight.
Translation: The right half of the symbol is stored in the king's place, the left half of the symbol is in the hands of the military commander of Dudi, if you want to mobilize more than fifty people, the left symbol of Dudi must meet the king's right symbol to order the march. However, in case of emergency, you can light a beacon without meeting the king's right charm.
The Yangling Tiger Symbol collected by the National Museum of China is a certificate for Qin Shi Huang to mobilize the army, cast in bronze in the shape of a Crouching Tiger, which can be divided into two, and the left and right necks of the tiger have the same wrong Golden Seal Book inscription 12 characters: "The Symbol of the Armor soldier, the right is in the emperor, the left is in the Yangling". When mobilizing the army, the envoys took the upper half of the symbol from the emperor and went to Yangling (present-day eastern Xianyang, Shaanxi) to check with the left half of the symbol before they could issue orders.
The Warring States Golden Tiger Charm now in the Xi'an Museum. There is no inscription on the golden tiger, and its place of origin is Fengxiang County, which was originally an area under the jurisdiction of the pre-Qin Dynasty, and from the perspective of styling characteristics, it belongs to the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, so it is inferred that this symbol is an early shape.
Pei Dafu Tiger Rune, Warring States, Tiger Body Inscription: "Pei Dafu Xinjie, Qiu Qiu and Yuan Paper, Expensive". It is now in the Palace Museum
The Western Han Dynasty mistakenly silver "Marquis of Tangyang" Tiger Rune, Tangyang Marquis is the title given by Emperor Liu Bang of Han gao to the hero Sun Chi.
Among the tiger symbols that have been handed down, there are more tiger symbols in the Han Dynasty, which is related to the large land area at that time. The twilight of tiger rune culture came in the Tang Dynasty. In order to avoid the name of his ancestor Li Hu, Li Yuan changed the tiger symbol to a fish symbol, and Wu Zetian changed it to a turtle symbol. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the use of tiger charms was resumed, after which the tiger charms were no longer used as functional items, and the once popular tiger charms retired.
The Seal of the Empress of the Han Dynasty, hidden in the Shaanxi History Museum, is only the size of an adult's palm, and the crystal and moist jade surface is carved with a fierce tiger. The tiger is a sacred beast that has evolved on the basis of absorbing the characteristics of the ant and the tiger. The use of the tiger as a button indicates the king's demeanor and the absolute authority of the hundred officials.
The king of the hundred beasts who was surrendered
With the progress of society and human beings, the comparison of the strength of people who rely on tools and technology with tigers has changed, and the relationship between humans and tigers has also changed. As the former king of the hundred beasts, he can also be subjugated.
Han Qing glazed pottery tiger zi Yangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology collection
In the Han Dynasty of Shangwu, a tiger-related artifact was also produced - "Tiger Zi". Legend has it that Li Guang, a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, shot a Crouching Tiger to death, cut off the tiger's head as a pillow, and cast it with copper to make a toilet. Out of love and admiration for General Li Guang, the folk followed the trend and made the night pot into a tiger shape. Regardless of whether the legend is true or false, it is enough to see the spiritual concept of conquering the tiger in the consciousness of the Han Dynasty.
In the "Luohan Tu" in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, an Arhat sits in front of the temple door, holding a staff in his right hand and stroking a tiger nestled in front of his knee with his left hand. Under his touch, the tiger was obedient as a big cat. The boy who was hiding behind the door and peeping at this scene showed a frightened expression.
This is especially true for emperors. The Jingzong Fuhu jade ornaments collected by the National Museum of China are carved from the records of Jingzong's surrender to tigers in the history books, and are fine works of Qiushan jade in the collection. It depicts The situation in which Liao Jingzong surrendered to the tiger: Jingzong wore a crown and a narrow-sleeved robe, sitting next to the stone cave, and the "non-threatening" tiger obediently lay down beside him.
Yongzheng and Qianlong, who were keen on hunting, went forward and followed in letting the painter depict his "Fuhu".
In the picture "Yin Chan Xingle Album • Thorny Tiger", yongzheng dressed in Western costumes confronts a fierce tiger with a trident. Yongzheng raised his eyebrows, his eyes were angry, extremely nervous. And the tiger's face has a bit of an anthropomorphic smile, and the exposed fangs are not sharp at all, but a little cute.
The "Diagram of the Thorny Tiger of the Qianlong Emperor", led by Lang Shining, and the Qianlong Emperor and his bodyguards held long halberds in their hands and stepped forward to stab the tiger, but the tiger stopped under duress. In order to flatter the height of the Qianlong Emperor, the fierce tiger, which was originally the king of the beasts, was painted as both small and weak, completely looking like a poor tiger falling in Pingyang and being bullied by dogs.
Tiggo in the folk
And the folk have the same love for the auspicious function of the tiger. It is said that since the time of the Yellow Emperor, people have painted tigers and pasted them on the door to ward off evil spirits and ensure peace. For a long time, people have used tiger paintings, tiger carvings, tiger rings and various tiger-shaped ornaments to come to the town house, using tiger head hats, tiger head shoes and tiger head pillows in folk costumes to symbolize driving away evil spirits and avoiding disasters, auspicious and peaceful. Therefore, in folk art such as New Year paintings, clay sculptures, shadow puppets, and paper-cutting, the image of the tiger has added a bit of liveliness and cuteness in addition to its might.
This brown-glazed painted tiger-shaped pillow hidden in the Palace Museum, with the body of the tiger as a pillow, depicted in black under yellow glaze to imitate tiger skin markings. The tiger-shaped pillows handed down from generation to generation are mainly produced by the Cizhou kiln in Hebei, the kiln in Yuxian County, Henan, and the Changzhi kiln in Shanxi, and the style is relatively close.
This cloth tiger, also hidden in the Palace Museum, has a huge head, a long tail and a majestic shape. It can be used as a toy during the day and as a pillow at night, which is both beautiful and practical. Cloth tiger is a traditional Chinese handicraft toy. Because tigers are believed to be able to drive away evil spirits and avoid disasters, bringing peace and auspiciousness, when the child is born, the cloth tiger is given a good wish for the healthy growth of the child.
During the Spring Festival, cultural institutions around the world have launched exhibitions with tigers as the theme, and the tiger cultural relics of the past dynasties have been splendid. If you want to learn more about tiger culture, you can't help but pick a good weather and walk into the museum with your family.