(Continued from the previous issue)
Today is the second of February, but also the folk often say that the dragon looks up, because the article about the dragon's head is written too much, there is really no novelty, just from the perspective of the shape and momentum of the dragon, combined with the archaeological excavation of the jade dragon object, to make an interpretation.
I. Introduction to the historical and cultural background of the Yuan Dynasty
If we look at the relationship between the Central Plains and the steppe peoples, looking at the history of China, the Eastern Hu, the Xiongnu, the Ruoran, the Turkic, the Hui and other ethnic groups can only establish nomadic states in the vast and distant northern grasslands.
Even if they could cross the grasslands and enter the Central Plains, such as the Northern Wei established by the Tuoba Xianbei people, which controlled about the northern part of China; the Liao state of the Khitan nation, the Jin state of the Jurchen nation, and the Western Xia state of the Dangxiang tribe only ruled north and northwest China, and their political power never developed into the hinterland of China.
The Yuan Dynasty, founded only by the Mongols, was the first nationwide unified dynasty in Chinese history to be established by the nomadic peoples of the north, and the territory of the Yuan Dynasty was the largest of All Chinese dynasties and laid the foundation for China's later territory.
After the Yuan Dynasty unified China, it broke the boundaries of the boundaries between the various ethnic regimes, ended the split situation between the Han nationality and the northern nomads that had lasted for hundreds of years since the end of the Tang Dynasty, and with the implementation of the provincial system in ethnic minority areas, the increase of the toast system and the increase of post stations and the rise of tun tian, the ties between various ethnic minorities and the Central Plains were greatly strengthened, the exchanges and exchanges between ethnic minorities became more and more frequent, and the interdependence between agriculture, animal husbandry, industry and commerce, and fishing and hunting promoted the development of the entire social economy and the unity between ethnic groups. The frontier areas have also been further developed and constructed.
In the case of a great increase in trade between the East and the West, many large merchants with a high artistic vision emerged, who guided the ceramic, jewelry and gold and silver processing industries to a higher artistic realm according to the needs of nobles and emperors, so that the porcelain industry in China, the gold and silver processing industry in Arabia and the gem industry in South Asia flourished.
Chinese porcelain was able to depict turquoise patterns using indigo from West Asia, and this elegant and beautiful blue and white porcelain injected fresh air into the world of ceramics.
It can be seen from this that the unification of the Mongols, the formation of the territory of the Yuan Dynasty and the liao state of the four khanates have made great contributions to the development of Sino-foreign exchanges and the integration of various ethnic groups.
2. Cultural background and artistic characteristics of the Song and Yuan dynasties
In April 1960, in the south of Wuxi City, two communes are jointly building a reservoir, in the project to take soil suddenly found an ancient tomb, after archaeological excavation and research, found that this is a tomb in the early Yuan Dynasty, the owner of the tomb Qian Yu is a famous historical figure of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, wuyue king Qian Miao's descendants, born in the Southern Song Dynasty, died in the early Yuan, the jade excavated in the tomb, representing the cultural outlook of the song and yuan transitional period, from the carving of jade and other aspects of the Song and Jin relics.
The jade belt hook was first seen in the Tombs of the Liangzhu culture in the Neolithic Era.
The Yuan Dynasty began to rise again, appeared in large numbers, and the shape tended to be unified, with the "dragon hook" as the main type.
At the same time, due to its own national costume habits, there was a popular combination of hooks and loops in the Warring States and Han Dynasties.
This kind of one hook and one ring buckle combination of instrument type draws on the ornamentation and carving techniques of Song and gold jade picture jade, so that a simple and practical belt hook and loop buckle has become a fashionable decoration symbolizing identity and status, and has become a decorative work of art.
Third, the basic characteristics of the jade dragon with hook unearthed from Qian Yu's tomb
The jade artifacts excavated from Qian Yu's tomb have daily utensils, jewelry, and ornaments.
Mainly ornaments, rich in shape, mostly from animals, there are also some plants, such as fish, deer, swans, lotuses, diamond horns, peaches, etc., as well as children.
The materials are almost all Hetian white jade and green jade, and the white jade texture is better.
The most special is a set of white jade belt hook and loop buckle, when the excavation of the two items are not together, archaeologists after research, restored the original state of use, but also let us see the formal use of the jade belt hook process.
The hook head with hook is flat and round, similar to the shape of a dragon's head, the lute-shaped abdomen is wider, and there is a bridge button with a rectangular hole on the back.
Decorated with the more popular spring water lotus water grass pattern in the Liaojin period. The front of the clasp is curved and convex, and the back is accented with an oval ring.
It is decorated with aquatic weeds, reeds, and lotuses as the background, and the "crane grabbing swan" pattern of the swan that is waiting for the opportunity to catch the swan that is looking back.
Fourth, Qian Yu's tomb unearthed jade dragon with hook appreciation elements
The ornamentation with hook and ring buckle is matched by the theme and the carving technique is the same, and the techniques of hollow carving, high relief carving and yin carving are adopted.
The main and auxiliary ornaments of the ring buckle are divided into four layers, and the lotus leaves, aquatic weeds and lotus petals are deeply carved and recessed, flipped and intertwined, and staggered.
The overall milling, rough and powerful, gives people a multi-level three-dimensional feeling.
There is a V-shaped notch on one side of the ring buckle, and the hook head with no edges and corners can be inserted into the notch, which forms a belt hook and ring buckle on the belt.
The ring buckle decoration of the Yuan Dynasty was developed on the basis of the su ring, and the su ring was changed into a support.
In addition to the "Crane Grabbing Swan", there are also "Double Lion Play Ball", "Tulip Leaf Lingzhi Tiger", "Grape Lingzhi Rui Beast", "Double Ant", etc., the content is interesting, the decoration is complicated, and it is a unique high-grade and unique belt decoration of the Yuan Dynasty.
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