summary
In the Tang Dynasty, there were many types of phoenix patterns, vivid and rich shapes, and one of the phoenix patterns had obvious chicken-shaped characteristics and cultural meanings. Taking the existing textile objects as the carrier, the article divides the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the Tang Dynasty textiles into phoenix lotus pattern, tuanqiao phoenix pattern and pair phoenix pattern with the help of iconographic research methods. Through the iconographic analysis of the phoenix head, wings and tail in the dynamic posture of the phoenix pattern, it is believed that it reflects the shape of the chicken in different states, showing the two aesthetic characteristics of heroic and strong and graceful and elegant. Based on the investigation of history, culture and folklore, the study believes that in the social culture of the Tang Dynasty, the chicken symbolizes the power of the emperor and has the function of warding off evil spirits and accepting the auspiciousness, and also reflects the Tang Dynasty people's love for cockfighting entertainment culture, so a large number of chicken-shaped phoenix patterns appeared in textiles.
Research background
In ancient Chinese society, the phoenix was a divine bird and bird, and together with the dragon, it became a symbol of the Chinese nation' auspiciousness, reflecting people's reverence, imagination, beautification and worship of the outside world, and its image was based on many birds, birds and animal shapes. In the "Chinese Phoenix Shape", it is divided into peacock-shaped phoenix, chicken-shaped phoenix, crane-shaped phoenix, eagle-shaped phoenix, abductor phoenix, and xie phoenix, etc., and it is believed that the phoenix prototype of the long beak and the phoenix crown is a rooster.[1] Since the Tang Dynasty, the status of the phoenix in people's hearts has gradually changed from the sacred birds and fairy birds in the ancient period to the birds of prey and auspicious birds, up to the emperors and generals, down to the people who love the phoenix, and can also use the phoenix. Therefore, the Tang Dynasty was a prosperous and colorful era of phoenix art, some with birds as the main prototype, some with chickens as the main prototype, or two mixed, integrated with other animal characteristics, and at the same time influenced by foreign cultures such as Persia and Buddhism, phoenix patterns and honeysuckle, grape patterns, flying sky, flame beads, lotus flowers and other elements combined together, showing a strong exotic style. At present, academic research on phoenix patterns in the Tang Dynasty is mostly concentrated in Dunhuang murals[2], bronze mirrors [3] or hairpins [4], and the study of phoenix patterns in textiles is scattered in general history works[5], or in other typical pattern analysis of the Tang Dynasty, such as the article "Birds on Tang Dynasty Fabrics" [6]. However, the above research is mostly limited to the level of material process analysis and pattern introduction, which is generally summarized as a phoenix bird and is not analyzed. This paper takes the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern as the main object of investigation, combines the existing physical data, adopts the comparative method and iconographic research method, analyzes the aesthetic characteristics of the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the Tang Dynasty textiles, and explores its cultural connotation in the context of the times, in order to enrich the study of the silk weaving culture of the Tang Dynasty.
Chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in Tang Dynasty textiles
The silk trade of the Tang Dynasty was developed, the production technology level was high, and the multicultural exchanges of the Silk Road made the silk weaving technology and artistic style of the Tang Dynasty integrate into foreign cultures. Taking the relevant literature monographs and the pictures collected by the museum as an example, the phoenix pattern shape in the textile is taken from the natural form of the bird in the composition form, such as slender body (2#, 7# in Table 1), robust (1# in Table 1), plump and cute (4#, 5#in Table 1); from the perspective of modeling classification, the phoenix pattern in textiles is mainly divided into three categories: standing phoenix, pair phoenix, and tuan phoenix, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Classification of phoenix patterns in Tang Dynasty textiles
Tab.1 Classification of phoenix pattern in the textiles of Tang dynasty
Most of the phoenix patterns in the Textiles of the Tang Dynasty retain the mythical and legendary snake neck and chicken-shaped beak, although they also incorporate the shape of birds, but mainly take the pheasant or chicken as the prototype, and restore the characteristics of chicken head, chicken beak, chicken feet and so on. The chicken-shaped phoenix pattern inherits the orthopedic and extravagant style since the Qin and Han dynasties, such as the Han Dynasty Wadang phoenix pattern (Figure 1(a)) and the Sui Dynasty phoenix pattern (Figure 1(b)), showing a strong sense of movement, the phoenix body shape is healthy, and the S-shaped curve is obvious. By the Tang Dynasty, the phoenix shape gradually became richer, and the morphology of the phoenix head, phoenix wing and tail was more vivid.
At this time, the phoenix pattern in textiles has been influenced by Hu Feng, such as the built-in phoenix pattern in the form of a floral ring with Chinese aesthetics (Figure 1(c)), or combined with tuanqiao lian beads imported from the Western Regions (Figure 1(d)), and the two-way cultural exchange between east and west has formed a new tang style [7].
Figure 1 Phoenix pattern modeling
Fig.1 Phoenix pattern themed shape
From the perspective of the composition of the pattern, the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the Tang Dynasty textiles is roughly divided into three categories (Table 2): the first type is the phoenix lotus pattern (Table 2 in the 4#, 5#, 7#, 8#), of which the phoenix pattern is the main body, and the auxiliary pattern is the lotus. As a holy flower in Buddhist culture, the lotus flower is also an auspicious flower, and often appears as a base for carrying holy relics. In secular life, the combination of the phoenix as an auspicious bird and the lotus flower often appeared in textiles, reflecting the prosperity of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. The second type is the tuanqiao phoenix pattern (1#, 2# in Table 2), with beads, tangled flowers and grasses, and grape patterns as the external tuanqiao frame, and the phoenix bird or standing on one leg, or stepping on the ground with two feet, the whole pattern can be used as a two-sided continuous or four-sided continuous for decoration. After the middle of the 8th century AD, the tangled branches or curly grass patterns that combined Chinese and Western elements gradually flourished and replaced the beads[8], which were filled with the patterns of beasts, auspicious birds or auspicious birds, reflecting people's pursuit and yearning for a better life. The third type is the phoenix pattern (3#, 6# in Table 2), with flowers and branches or trees as the central axis, and the left and right symmetrical distribution of chicken-shaped phoenix patterns. Although there is no clear axis of symmetry, the flower branches of the double phoenix mouth form an invisible axisymmetric form, which is flexible and full of rhythm. In the collection of the flower tree in Shosoin, Japan, the flower tree is used as the central axis of the overall pattern, the flower tree originates from the tree of life in the Persian and Byzantine cultures, and the composition of the symmetrical distribution of animals or characters on both sides of the flower tree is a common expression in Persian and Byzantine decorative arts (Table 2, 3#). This central axis design method originated from Central Asia, and the development of the Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty and the exchange of Cultures between Various Ethnic Groups in China and abroad made the silk pattern integrate and innovate the western decorative techniques of Central Asia and West Asia on the basis of inheriting the tradition.[9]
Table 2 Classification of chicken-shaped phoenix patterns in Tang Dynasty textiles
Tab.2 Classification of chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the textiles of Tang dynasty
The aesthetic of chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in Tang Dynasty textiles
Through the analysis of the typical chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the textiles of the Tang Dynasty, it is found that the artists have formed chicken-shaped phoenix patterns with different postures after artistic processing of pheasants or poultry chickens in different active states in nature, which have both slender muscles and bones and slightly plump postures, showing the dual characteristics of heroic and strong and graceful and leisurely, sometimes both.
2.1 The beauty of heroic and robustness
In the early Tang Dynasty, the sound of the Six Dynasties has been changed, and the continuous foreign wars have made the whole society advocate force, and the artistic field also admires the beauty of heroic and strong. The Old Book of Tang records that "Emperor Taizong remembered the difficulty of wang ye and the power of his life, and also wrote the "Wei Feng Fu" to give Wu Jie. [10] The emperor presented himself as "Wei Feng" and his courtiers as flocks of birds, which is a reflection of the concept of "hundreds of birds and phoenixes" in Tang culture. It can be said that the heroic and robust chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the silk fabric is an echo of the Weifeng culture.
As shown in Table 2, the chicken-shaped phoenix and the upturned tail feathers form an open or small or large "U" shape, the smaller the opening, the stronger the sense of movement of the body, the more robust and powerful the shape. In Table 2, the image of the phoenix bird 1# and 3# is particularly obvious, the former wears a high crown, the phoenix eyes are round, the phoenix body is slender and powerful, the leg muscle lines are tight, and the one leg is upright, just like a leisurely but majestic rooster image, such as 1# in Table 3; the latter is upright on both feet, the body is also slender and strong, and the tail feathers are turned up, like a rooster with its head held high. From the perspective of phoenix crown shape, the crown in the chicken shape phoenix pattern should be an imitation and reconstruction of the cock crown shape, which can be divided into two categories: one is the upper width and lower narrow cloud crown, which is very similar to the rooster crown in nature, as shown in Table 2 #, 4#, 6#, 8#; the second is the lower width and upper narrow high crown, as shown in Table 2 1#, 7#, which is the artistic processing of the natural chicken image. Table 1#, 2#, 3#, 7# show that the crested feathers are rolled upwards, or upright, as if in a fighting state, as shown in table 3 2#. From the perspective of the shape of the phoenix wings, although the phoenix patterns in Table 2 are spread wings, their directions are divided into two categories, one type of trend downward, which forms a visual contrast with the upward tail feathers; the other type of trend is upward, consistent with the tail feathers, reflecting the beauty of harmonious rhythm. In terms of detailed depiction, the upward wing feathers are all open, shaped like gears, which is very similar to the posture of birds and chickens in nature spreading their wings and flying, such as 5# and 2# in Table 3. From the perspective of the shape of the phoenix tail, table 2 is rolled upwards, but due to the difference in the dynamics of the pattern, the curvature and strength of the roll are different. The tail feathers have a larger curvature, their momentum is stronger, the strength is abundant, and the tension is greater, as shown in Table 2 1#, 2#, 3#, 7#, 8#. In the details of tail feathers, the artist uses Western-style honeysuckle patterns, curly grass patterns or simple abstract line feathers to depict, which can be said to be an innovative expression of the image of chicken tail feathers in nature.
2.2 Graceful and elegant beauty
After the Middle And Tang Dynasties, social customs and aesthetic tastes gradually moved towards luxury, leisure and pleasure. Li Zhao's "Supplementary History of the Kingdom of Tang" says: "Chang'an customs, since Zhenyuan extravagance in the feast, and then extravagance in calligraphy and painting, or extravagance in the game, ashamed of not delaying play." At this time, the phoenix pattern in the textile is graceful and elegant, gorgeous and plump.
As shown in Table 2, although the graceful and leisurely chicken-shaped phoenix pattern retains the crown of the chicken and the upright posture of spreading its wings, the direction of the feathers and the body tension gradually ease. From the perspective of eye shape, such phoenix eyes tend to be narrow and long, mostly squinty, and the feathers of the phoenix head are mostly transverse flowing, the mouth is slightly open, and the mouth is branched. Judging from the detailed portrayal of the phoenix wings, the downward trend of the phoenix wing feathers is closed, as shown in 7# and 8# in Table 2, showing a leisurely and unhurried posture. In the shape of the phoenix tail, its rolling curve is relatively small, as shown in Table 2 4#, 5#, 6#, its tail feather details are more delicate and realistic, which complements the overall shape of grace and elegance. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes 138 caves in the late Tang Dynasty female provider's blouse pattern of the two chicken-shaped phoenix patterns, such as table 2 in the 4#, 5# should be a representative of the style transformation: black chicken-shaped phoenix eye beads are round, but the eye shape tends to be narrow and long, its "U" body opening is slightly smaller than the white phoenix, the posture still has heroic characteristics, but the bodybuilding and tight muscle sense disappears no more, should be the spread of wings, such as the rooster in the state of 5# in table 3 for artistic reconstruction; white chicken-shaped phoenix pattern may be based on pheasant, such as table 3 in 4# as the main prototype, fine eyes are confused, Its plump body, its feathers, wings and tail feathers are soothing and flowing, appearing peaceful and tranquil, showing a delicate beauty.
Table 3 Chickens in different states of nature
Tab.3 Chickens under different states in nature
The cultural connotation of chicken-shaped phoenix patterns in Tang Dynasty textiles
According to the iconographer Owen Panofsky, the essential meaning of an image is "a fundamental attitude of a nation, a period, a class, a religious belief or philosophical belief, all of which are unconsciously limited by individuality and condensed in the work of art". By examining the aesthetic characteristics of the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the textiles of the Tang Dynasty, we can further glimpse the status of the chicken in the hearts of the Tang people and its related customs and culture.
3.1 Symbol of imperial power
Since the pre-Qin period, pheasants and pheasants have been regarded as one of the members of the feng family and are loved and respected by people. In the phoenix pattern artworks from the pre-Qin to Wei and Jin dynasties, some of the characteristics of chickens can also be glimpsed, and the overall shape tends to be abstract, mysterious or strange.
In the Tang Dynasty, people often compared Luanfeng to the emperor. Du Fu's "Lyrics in the Snow" says, "The Son of Heaven is benevolent, and Ren Xian is like a teacher... Such as the eternal life of the sun and the moon, if the luan phoenix is a phoenix", it is precisely by the analogy of the phoenix that the emperor's benevolence and righteousness are praised. There is also a record in the Old Book of Tang and the Five Elements Chronicle: "After the civilization of Emperor Gaozong, the world frequently played female pheasants into males, or semi-transformed, and sacrificed at the same time, then the heavens came to the dynasty." [10] 1122 That is to say, the transformation of the rooster's sexual characteristics became an auspicious or sign that Wu Zetian was about to come to the dynasty. He Ning's "Hundred Songs of Palace Words" said: "The six palaces enter the wine Yao Mei Shou, and the dancing phoenix pan dragon is full of imperial clothes." It can be seen that the emperor wears both dragons and phoenixes in the pattern of the imperial robe. The Tang people used the phoenix as a metaphor for people and phoenixes as decorations, and entrusted them with beautiful sustenance, so the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in Tang Dynasty textiles integrated the beautiful qualities of chickens and phoenixes into one to symbolize the emperor.
In artistic expression, the golden rooster ritual that prevailed in the Tang Dynasty was another important promoter of the phoenix-shaped chicken in textiles. It is believed that the chicken is a bird of virtue in the twelve genera, and the rooster is regarded as a symbol of the fortune of the emperor. In the "Xiangji Jing", it is said that the chicken has five virtues: "The one who wears the crown on his head, Wen Ye; the one who fights at a distance, Wu Ye; the one who dares to fight in front of the enemy, Yong Ye; the one who sees the food and calls for each other, Ren Ye; the one who keeps vigil without losing time, Xinye." In addition, "amnesty for the world" was one of the necessary measures after the new emperor ascended the throne, and the golden rooster pardon ceremony became a symbol of regime change. It should be pointed out that the "gold" in the golden rooster is not gold, but the "gold" of the "water, wood, gold, fire, and earth" in the five elements of yin and yang. The Sui Dynasty set up a special wei lieutenant to be in charge of the establishment of the golden rooster on pardon, and the rulers of the Tang Dynasty believed that the golden rooster was closely related to the fortunes of the imperial dynasty, so they followed this custom. As recorded in the "Notes on the Fengshi Smell and Seeing Record", when Wu Zetian sealed Song Yue, "amnesty, change the yuan long live the ascension seal." There is a large quercus tree in the south of the altar, and the branches of the tree are placed with golden roosters, because the name tree is golden rooster trees. "In the phoenix ornaments excavated in Xi'an, Shaanxi in the Tang Dynasty (Table 4 in #1), although the phoenix has a tail feather in the shape of curly grass petals, its head is upright, and its posture of fitness and self-confidence is like a mighty and majestic rooster image.
Table 4 Chicken-shaped phoenix pattern on other utensils of the Tang Dynasty
Tab.4 The chicken-shaped phoenix patterns on other utensils of Tang dynasty
3.2 Reflect the Tang Dynasty's culture of warding off evil spirits and Naxiang
In the creation myth recorded in the "Art and Literature Cluster", there is a legend that "the heavens and the earth are chaotic like chickens, Pangu was born in it, and it is 18,000 years old", which shows that the chicken is an extraordinary spiritual bird in the hearts of the ancients. The "Ancestral Court" said: "There is no name for the golden rooster in the human world, so in response to the golden rooster star in the sky, so also, the golden rooster in the sky is also sounding in the human world." [13] The chicken is the yang, and the rooster sings the sun rises in the east, announcing the end of the time for the ghostly activities, and the chicken is closely related to the transformation of the hour and the comeback of the sun, becoming a charm to drive away evil spirits and a sacred bird that summons the sun to come back. Tao Hongjing, a famous Taoist monk in the Southern Dynasty Qi Liangjian, once affirmed the chicken's function of exorcising evil spirits in the "True Truth": "It is advisable to raise white chickens and white dogs in the mountains of the Tao, which can ward off evil spirits"[14], which is to interpret the special function of chicken Zhixiang to ward off evil spirits from the perspective of the five elements of yin and yang. In the texts of folklore, it is believed that the golden rooster can fight centipedes and scorpions, so it is regarded as a detoxification of sacred birds.
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a custom of "chicken tricks". When a living person is seriously ill, a rooster can be used to "set up a sacrifice in court" to relieve the disaster. "Chicken tricks" can also be used for dead people, after the funeral, the coffin and the coffin lid are generally glued with chicken blood, people believe that chicken blood can get rid of evil demons invading the cemetery, and place a red rooster on the coffin, known as "soul chicken". In the funeral drawing of the "Nirvana Sutra" on the west wall of Cave 148 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes during the Tang Dynasty, a bird stands on the top of the coffin (2# in Table 4), whose shape is a chicken head, a curved neck, wings outstretched, tail feathers are high, majestic and graceful. Some scholars believe that this is a phoenix, while others believe that it is a rooster from a folklore point of view. The author believes that this is a chicken-shaped phoenix that organically integrates the shape of a rooster and a bird, and its purpose is to protect the deceased from the infestation of ghost stings.
In the wedding and marriage activities, the chicken will also appear, because "chicken" and "ji" are harmonious, which invisibly adds the meaning of praying for Najib. Both men and women will prepare the custom of red rooster and fat hen, known as "long-lived chicken", to wish the newlyweds a happy marriage, auspicious and long life. Therefore, the phoenix pattern symbolizing happiness and auspiciousness often appeared on the bronze mirrors of the Tang Dynasty, as shown in Table 3# in Table 4. The phoenix mouth is knotted into a double buckle "concentric knot", although it belongs to the horizontal side in the dynamic posture, but the thin leg distance claws, obviously have the characteristics of chickens, what has changed is that the phoenix's claws have been curved, as if it is walking slowly, the phoenix eyes are slender, the eyes are feminine, and the calm and elegant state is fully displayed.
3.3 Reflect the Tang Dynasty cockfighting customs
In the Tang Dynasty, roosters were also regarded as brave and warlike birds, and people put trained chickens together and prompted them to fight each other, calling them "fighting chickens" and "biting chickens", commonly known as "fighting cocks". As a kind of entertainment, cockfighting originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but was mostly limited to the aristocratic class. In the Tang Dynasty, cockfighting became an entertainment game that could be participated by the nobles and the common people.
In the mural on the west wall of Yongdao in front of the tomb of Li Xian, the prince of Zhanghuai, there is an image of a maid holding a rooster, as shown in Table 4 #. The Old Book of Tang and the Biography of Wang Bo records that the prince and the kings loved cockfighting at that time: "The kings fought cocks, and won and lost each other, and the bo play was "The Chicken Text of the King of Qiying". Emperor Gaozong looked at it and said angrily: "According to this, it is a gradual intersection." 'Rebuke the house on the same day, and will not be allowed to enter the house.' [10] 4302 There is also a record in the "Biography of Father and Elder in Dongcheng" that Tang Xuanzong was fond of cockfighting, "ruling the chicken fang between the two palaces." Suo Chang'an rooster, golden iron distance, high crown and thousands of tails, raised in chicken fang. The royal families, the foreign relatives, the noble lord's family, and the Hou family lightly dispose of the bankrupt city chickens to pay the chicken value. Among them, the "golden iron distance" refers to the rooster with golden fur and sharp claws, so it is not surprising that the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern in the textile has exploded and rolled feathers and stiff sharp claws, as shown in Table 2 # 1#. According to a folk song in the Sheng Tang Dynasty, a poor boy named Jia Chang was favored by Xuanzong because he was good at cockfighting, and this story was sung forever: "Children do not need to read words, and cockfighting is better than reading." The Jia family is thirteen years old, rich and prosperous. [16] It can be seen that people at the time are very convinced that as long as they master the art of cockfighting, even if they do not have culture, they can achieve a leap in personal class. In Tang poems, it can also be seen everywhere that teenagers who admire the spirit of the rangers linger in the cockfighting arena, such as "Fighting cocks in the eastern suburbs, shooting pheasants in the south" (Chen Ziliang's "Ranger Chapter"), "Fighting cocks under the cold food, walking in front of the horse shooting hall" (Meng Haoran," "Shangwei LuoZhong sends Wang Jiuyi"), "I used to fight cocks, LianYan Wulinghao" (Li Bai's "Narrative Of the Old Gifts to Jiangyang Zailu Tune"), the poem depicts teenagers here making friends through popular cockfighting games, and exerting their youthful spirit in entertainment activities. It can be seen that the Tang people's feelings for chickens are really unusual. Therefore, it is logical that a large number of phoenix images with a look and shape similar to a chicken or pheasant appear in textiles.
Conclusion
Images are not only the expression of individual emotions of artists, but also can reveal many characteristics of the times, through the analysis of images that integrate historical information, cultural meaning and spiritual beliefs, we can better perceive and grasp the cultural and artistic aesthetic tastes of a certain era. The Tang people believed that the rooster represented the power of the emperor and influenced the fortunes of the empire, and could ward off evil spirits and drive away disasters and pray for good fortune. At the same time, cockfighting was also the main entertainment activity of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, in the chicken-shaped phoenix pattern modeling on the textiles of the Tang Dynasty, the artists took advantage of the material and fully expressed the shape and meaning characteristics of the chicken, or the heroic and vigorous, or the rich and graceful, reflecting the Tang people's spiritual pursuit and aesthetic taste of loving chickens and loving phoenixes and pursuing a better life.
Source: Silk Magazine