The new Edition of The Babo Micro Classroom has begun
The cultural relics introduced to you today are the jade of the Han Dynasty to ward off evil spirits
This jade was excavated in December 1978 from the Han Tomb of Jinhe Brick and Tile Factory in the northern suburbs of Baoji City, with a length of 19.8 cm, a height of 18.5 cm and a weight of 1.962 kg. It is carved from a large piece of jade as a whole, the jade is green and white, the part is Qin, and the whole body is polished and polished.
Take a closer look! The body of the evil spirit is strong and powerful, the muscles are full, the posture is high and the chest is upright, the eyes are round, the ears are erect, the fangs are exposed, the wings are born in the front crotch, the front and back crouch, ready to attack, the long roar, it seems to be ready to pounce. There is a one-horned rectangular mortise on the top of the head, a cylindrical insert on the back, and a square hole in the tail, and the tail of the insert may be broken. The whole body is covered with circle patterns, flowing cloud patterns, feather patterns, etc. carved by the yin line, the lines are gentle and smooth, the thickness is interspersed, the outline is orderly, and the edges can faintly see the hair, which can be called "gossamer hair carving". In terms of craftsmanship, in addition to circular carving, a variety of techniques such as high relief carving, line carving, and drilling are also used, so that the texture of jade to ward off evil spirits is delicate and flexible. So far, it is known that 3 pieces of jade have been excavated from the sites and tombs of the Han Dynasty to ward off evil spirits, and this jade repelling evil spirits is the largest piece of jade exorcism in the Han Dynasty at present, and the craftsmanship is delicate and exquisite, although it is damaged, it is an artistic treasure.
Yongning Tomb stone carvings
Image source: Gao Xiangsheng. The Remains of the Six Dynasties[J].Architecture and Culture, 2021(07):266.
The basic image of jade to ward off evil spirits comes from the natural world, which is a sacred beast in ancient legends and a beast of auspicious rui. It was first seen in the Western Han Dynasty, and was popular from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and had the effect of dispelling evil spirits. The image of warding off evil spirits is usually a lion with its mouth held high and strolling widely, its shape is derived from lions and deer, but it is alienated by the gods, so that they give birth to wings and fly wings, combining religious mythological culture with jade carvings to become divine beasts. In addition to lions and celestial deer, some evil spirits have also absorbed the images of tigers and leopards, all of which are mysterious and majestic.
Western Jin Dynasty Yue kiln celadon lion shaped candlestick to ward off evil spirits Hangzhou Museum collection
Image source: Chen Jiaoyan. An Analysis on the Cultural Connotation of Yue Kiln Celadon to Ward Off Evil Spirits: A Case Study of the Western Jin Dynasty Yue Kiln Celadon Lion-shaped Evil Cult In Hangzhou Museum Collection[J].Cultural Relics Identification and Appreciation, 2021(13):30.
The original meaning of "warding off evil spirits" was "partiality to evil and unrighteousness." Later, the meaning of "warding off evil spirits" was extended to avoid evil worship and eliminate unknowns. "Warding off evil spirits" has become a kind of relics that drive away evil, and is often embroidered or engraved on fabrics, military flags, seals, bell buttons and other objects to ward off evil spirits.
At present, we are still fighting against the new crown epidemic, and with the meaning of "warding off evil", we wish us an early victory over the epidemic, national peace and security, and prosperity!
Today's trivia: "gossamer wool carving", "Han eight knives" and "hair knife carving" as three very characteristic carving techniques of the Han Dynasty? Do you know what the difference is between them?
"Gossamer wool carving" is a kind of fine line jade carving technique popular in the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, the technique carved out of the fine yin line like gossamer, like a hair, gentle and gentle, smooth and vigorous, also known as "gossamer carving" or "gossamer white drawing". The description of this technique was first seen in the Ming Dynasty Gao Lian's "Yan Xian Qing Appreciation Notes": "The Han people pondered, the magic is in the double hook, the milling method is like a turning flow, fine into the autumn, not even more dense and uneven, intermittent handover, like gossamer white drawing, there is no lag." ”
"Han Eight Knives" has two meanings. The first is to describe its knife work as concise and extensive, like eight knives; second, because its knife emphasizes left and right symmetry, and the left and right lines after playing the knife form the effect of "eight" characters. The "Han Eight Knives" is actually a kind of oblique milling process. The oblique milling process has been very popular in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the process should be to tilt the weight at an angle and use its side blade to drive the wet jade sand milling, so that the line marks show a deep slope on one side and a shallow slope on the other. Therefore, later generations also called it the "one-sided slope" technique.
"Mao Dao Carving", also known as "Chaotic Knife", first appeared in the Qin Dynasty and was developed and continued in the Han Dynasty. The line pattern carved by the wool knife is generally relatively wide and shallow, and is composed of many irregular thin lines that are fine over a millimeter, and the edges of the line marks are more than glitched, and the style is rough and unrestrained.
Han Eight Knives
Gossamer wool carving
Hair knife carving
bibliography:
CHEN Liang. Treasures of Baoji Bronze Ware Museum[M].Xi'an:Northwest University Press,2021.
[2] Ding Zhe." Gossamer Wool Carving", "Han Eight Knives" and "Wool Knife Carving" Techniques[J].Cultural Relics Identification and Appreciation, 2012(04):48-49.
Edit: Bai Dan
Editor-in-charge: Cui Ruihua
Review: Li Qi