Ancient Palace Lights: The man was in the middle of the lights!
Palace lanterns, also known as palace flower lanterns, are one of the characteristic traditional handicrafts of the Han people in Chinese lanterns[1]. Palace lamps began in the Eastern Han Dynasty, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with strong local characteristics, palace lamps as the name suggests is the lamp used in the palace, mainly some of the fine wood as the skeleton inlaid with silk and glass, and painted with various patterns of painted lights, it is known for its grace and luxury, full of court style.
Because it has long been used by the court, in addition to lighting, it must also be equipped with intricate decorations to show the wealth and luxury of the emperor. The orthodox palace lamp illumination type is octagonal, hexagonal, and four-corner type, and the content of the picture screen patterns on each side is mostly dragon and phoenix, fushou longevity, auspicious ruyi, etc.
The palace lamp has a history of thousands of years in China and has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture. Palace lamps as a special handicraft made by China's handicraft industry, enjoy a high reputation in the world, until today in some luxurious halls and residences can still find palace lamp shape decoration.
According to legend, after Liu Xiu, the Guangwu Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, built the capital Luoyang and unified the world, in order to celebrate this feat, he set up colorful lanterns in the palace, put on a feast, and set up palace lamps, each in a beautiful posture. The name "Palace Lamp" was born from this. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the first year of the Sui Dynasty Emperor's great cause, a hundred plays were set up in Luoyang, all over the palace lamps, drinking and feasting, and the whole city was illuminated and half a month. After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, every Lantern Festival, the family treasure lanterns were hung high, the bright lights were bright everywhere, everyone carried the lanterns to roam, and the lights competed for glory. This custom spread to the whole country and spread overseas. The technique of making palace lamps was also introduced to the people by the court.
The palace lamps of the Ming and Qing dynasties were mainly framed by fine wood, carved with patterns, or carved lacquer as a frame, inlaid with silk, glass or glass filament. Qing Tancui's "Yu Hengzhi of the Dianhai Sea" has a detailed record of the production of "material filament lamps" (that is, glass lamps) (that is, glass lamps) introduced to the capital, and the rise and fall of the folk, "The material filament lamps come out of Yongchang, take the medicinal materials and torment, and weave the silk into lamps, so it is known as material silk." Its medicinal materials are purple quartz, blunt magnetism, ochre genus, not a category also. It was out of the power of money, so as to go up, and not to let outsiders burn it. Can go, start to practice; Gu is more refined, grows up a few times two or three times, the price is very high, the burner dies, his son passes on his law, people compete to burn it, the price is cheap, and the person who does it cannot be refined. Eunuchs do not take it. ”
The traditional palace lamp is multi-burning wax lighting, for windproof, with water glue brushed gauze as a cover, painted on the top of a variety of patterns, each containing different meanings, each with different functions, mostly for the dragon and phoenix xiang, fu life extension, auspicious ruyi and so on. There are many types of palace lamps, including a group of harmony lamps, haha two immortal lamps, three yang kaitai lamps, four seasons peace lamps, five sons to win the championship lamp, six kingdoms Phoenix Xiang lamp, seven talents street lamp, eight immortals across the sea lamp, nine sons Dengke lamp, ten ambush lights and so on. Through these lanterns of different contents, people pin their wishes on their hearts. For example, family harmony hangs "a group of harmony lamps", families who go out hang a "four seasons peace lamp", and students at home can hang "Nine Sons Dengke Lamp" and so on.
Gilded bronze skeleton carved Longevity Ruyi pavilion-style palace lamp
Gilded bronze skeleton carved Longevity Ruyi pavilion-style palace lamp. Palace lanterns, also known as palace flower lanterns, are one of the most distinctive traditional Han handicrafts in China.
Qing Dynasty, filigree enamel paper painting flower and bird pattern palace lamp (a pair)
Qing Dynasty, wooden gold inlaid jade flower bird pattern palace lamp (a pair)
Filigree enamel palace lamp (pair)
Qing Dynasty, Bronze Palace Lamp
In the Qing Dynasty, mahogany painted flowers with hexagonal palace lamps
In the Qing Dynasty, mahogany painted flowers with hexagonal palace lamps. Palace lamps began in the Eastern Han Dynasty, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with strong local characteristics, palace lamps as the name suggests is the lamp used in the palace, mainly some of the fine wood as the skeleton inlaid with silk and glass, and painted with various patterns of painted lights, it is known for its grace and luxury, full of court style.
Mahogany inlaid jade Shiwen Palace lamp
Wood carved Dragon ShouGong lamp (two pieces)
Wood lacquered golden treasure palace lamp (a pair)
Wood lacquered golden treasure palace lamp (a pair). Because it has long been used by the court, in addition to lighting, it must also be equipped with intricate decorations to show the wealth and luxury of the emperor.
In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, rosewood glass painted palace lights
In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, copper gilded dragon pattern palace lamps (a pair)
In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, white jade was secretly carved to cultivate and weave palace lamps
Qianlong, bronze gilded palace lamp
Qingqianlong, filigree enamel flower wave pattern square palace lamp
Qingqianlong, filigree enamel flower wave pattern square palace lamp. The production process is complex, generally using fine wood as the skeleton, making an octagonal, hexagonal or four-cornered type, and then inlaid with silk and glass between the skeletons, and painting various patterns, generally larger in shape, hanging on the hall beams.
Mahogany four-corner palace lamp
Jade inner glass outer palace painted four seasons flowers and birds figure palace lights
Qing, ivory palace lamp
Copper inlaid gold spitting water Goldfish rosewood palace lamp
Rosewood depicts gold tangled branches of floral yarn cabinet palace lamp
Rosewood inlaid filigree enamel glass painting flower bird pattern palace lamp
Copper tire filigree enamel palace lamp
Copper gilt gilded flower palace lamp cap
Qingqianlongnian made filigree enamel dragon and phoenix palace lamps
Silver tire burnt blue inlaid white jade Bagua pattern palace lamp
Ivory Lady Figure Palace Lamp
Palace lamp almond honey _ palace lamp lantern
Palace lights classification
1. "HexagonAl Palace Lamp".
This lamp is the main form of Beijing Palace lamp, which is made of rosewood, mahogany, pear and other precious woods as a skeleton, and then inlaid with glass or silk painting screen and made, there are 6 faces to you, divided into two layers: upper and lower fans. The upper fan is wide, with 6 short columns in the hexagon, 6 dragon heads or crests carved on the upper edge, colorful spike pendants hanging from the hexagons, and 6 small picture screens between the short columns; The lower fan is narrow, with 6 long columns, hollowed out teeth on the outside of the column, and 6 rectangular picture screens on the inside.
Second, "flower lanterns".
Most of the lanterns are also made of precious woods such as mahogany, rosewood, pear, and nan wood as a frame, and then inlaid with silk and glass. Flower lanterns require more comprehensive skills in production, carving, skeletonizing, engraving, painting, and are indispensable. Its shape is evolved on the basis of the six-square official lamp, which not only maintains the original characteristics, but also has practical value.
III. "Bafang Palace Lamp"
For one of the classic styles of palace lamps, the use of rosewood, ebony and other hardwoods as the main frame of the lamp, inlaid with glazed jade and other materials of the drawing board, highlighting the elegance and luxury, this type is divided into more than three layers of structure or ceiling type, in the eight external surfaces are painted with eight immortals across the sea and other meanings of wealth and auspicious patterns, exquisite workmanship, both as interior decoration lighting, but also as a work of art appreciation.
The palace lamp has a history of thousands of years in China and has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture.