<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="2" > the "rebound pipa" in the Dunhuang murals is known as the most famous stunt art image in China's Tang Dynasty dance culture, and has long been renowned at home and abroad. However, there has been no clear answer to the earliest appearance time and artistic origin of the rebound pipa, and some people have claimed that the "rebound pipa" is the original music and dance peak of Chinese, and is a special skill of national art in the history of Chinese dance. </h1>
This article compares the three "bouncing pipa" artistic images of chang'an tomb stone rafter line depiction, Tubo silver pot and Dunhuang mural, proving that the painting powder from exotic land is the source of the transmission of Dunhuang's unique shape, and preliminarily interprets this long-unsolved artistic theme. Based on the depiction of the stone rafters of the tomb of Empress Zhenshun of Chang'an unearthed in recent years, the author points out that the earliest source of the "rebound pipa" is the male Hu people rebounding pipa art model in the twenty-fifth year of the New Century (737), and the process of transforming from male dancer to female maiko was opened from the royal art of Chang'an to absorb exotic foreign cultures and spread to the creation of Dunhuang art craftsmen.
Left: One of the bouncing lutes depicting the Zhenshun Empress Stone Rafter line
Picture right: Mogao Caves in the Tang Dynasty 112th cave rebound pipa line drawing
The "rebound pipa" in the Dunhuang murals is one of the most famous artistic images in the dance culture of the Tang Dynasty in China, and with the performance of modern songs and dances such as "Silk Road Flower Rain" and spread at home and abroad, academia and art circles have always been regarded as classics, but the Tang Dynasty painters' creations originated from the Sheng Tang Dynasty, and when the Middle Tang Dynasty was manifested is uncertain, there is no accurate period and the source of the powder. This article is based on the recent excavation of empress Zhenshun (Wu Huifei) tombstone line depiction, pointing out that its source is the 25th year of the New Century (737) male Hu people rebound pipa art model, which is not female but male, revising the original statement that it was a female maiko. The charm of "rebounding pipa" is opened from the royal court art, and the exotic Hu shape is the source of the dissemination of this extraordinary and unique art, which shows the absorption and development of foreign cultures in the 6th and 9th centuries.
"Silk Road Flower Rain" performance
Tang Chang'an Zhenshun Empress (Wu Huifei) Shi Liang's "Rebound Pipa"
The Stone Rafters of empress Zhenshun of the Tang Dynasty, who returned from the United States in 2010, are now in the collection of the Shaanxi History Museum. The owner of this stone rafter was Wu Huifei, a concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who was buried in The Xingqing Palace in Chang'an in the 25th year of the New Century, and was buried in February of the following year (738) in Pangliu Village, Dazhao Township, Chang'an District, Xi'an, named "Jingling".
This empress-level stone rafter produced by the Kaiyuan Dynasty is the highest-grade and richest stone burial tool among the dozens of stone rafters unearthed in the Tang Dynasty so far, and the inner wall is carved with 10 character screen paintings and 21 royal ladies are plump and beautiful. In addition to the four Hu warriors on the front of the outer wall, the pilaster line is engraved with many hu figures with high noses and deep eyes and full of sideburns and curly hair, and a group of Hu musicians holding musical instruments are surrounded by flowers, including two Hu dancers who "bounce pipa".
On the right column of the sarcophagus is a bearded man who bounces the pipa, wearing a crown of the sun and moon, a tight long-sleeved shirt on the upper part, a ribbon wrapped around the silk ribbon, and soft-soled leather boots on his feet. Tila bent over on her right foot and stood on one foot in a dancing posture, as if she were dancing in a rapid rotation. Hu People hold the curved neck lute above the back of the neck with both hands, not playing the instrument, but dancing. There is only one person dancing in the middle of the flower bush music and dance scene, paying attention to the exaggeration of waist twisting and bending, and the dance posture is not an Indian "tri-fold" posture, but a song and dance skill that highlights the male posture lengthening and chic.
The Zhenshun Empress Stone Rafter is depicted in the outer southern column line
Another Hu man is also wearing a Sun Moon Treasure Crown Belt, the waist is thin, the lines are prominent, wearing a tight-sleeved undergarment, the lower body is also a tight shirt, the waist is decorated with a corrugated floral skirt, the hands are tightly supported by the neck lute on the back of the neck shoulder, the right leg is raised, and the left toe supports the whole body in an S-shape, this large-scale dance posture is concentrated on the head and neck, waist and high leg and foot parts, showing the male dancer's strong posture and strong appearance.
Another column line outside the Zhenshun Empress Stone Rafter is depicted
Zhenshun Empress Stone Rafter line depicts one of the rebound lutes
The author has pointed out that this dance is similar to the dance sacrifice ceremony of the male priests in front of the Greek royal palace, and the appearance of such priests is often to summon a specific deity. Greece has been able to perform dances at weddings, funerals, and religious occasions since Homer's time. Dance ceremony is an activity to please the gods, especially the strong warriors use solo dance to show respect and reverence for the gods, but also to praise the merits of the gods. Dancing sacrifices and gods are a kind of cultural carrier between ancient Greeks to communicate between people and gods, and dancing to entertain gods and people is a popular ceremony of praise for many nationalities.
The inner wall of The Wuhuifei Stone Rafter depicts a group of beautiful court women, but the outer column is depicted on the line, without the image of a woman or goddess, but a group of "Hellenistic" figures who lead the god beast, ride the god beast and hold the fruit plate to worship the gods, summoning the gods, unprecedented, vivid. In the imaginary mythological world, other active figures running through the flowers, holding instruments such as horizontal flutes, waist drums, and pipas, singing and dancing, showing the male characters of Indo-European appearance, whether it is curly hair and long whiskers, or deep eyes and high noses, there are two Hu people who "rebound pipa", one holds the curved neck lute behind the head, and the other pinto straight-neck pipa is placed behind the neck, which prompts us to think about the Western source of the "rebound pipa" plastic art. There are contrasting samples and mutual evidence for us to find this unique artistic model, which is useful for understanding the trajectory of the transmutation from the "Hellenistic Temple" to the "Buddhist Temple".
The Zhenshun Empress Stone Rafter line depicts a musician holding a plucked instrument in his hand
Empress Zhenshun's stone rafter line depicts a musician who claps his waist drum
The Zhenshun Empress Stone Rafter line depicts a musician who plays a horizontal flute
"Rebound pipa" on a Tibetan silver pot at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa
Originally built in the 7th century AD, the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, houses the famous "Tubo Rebound Pipa Silver Pot", also known as the "Beast Head HuRen Pattern Gilded Silver Pot", but its source and time have not yet been unified.
Tubo beast head Huren tattooed gilt gold and silver pot 7th century
From the analysis of the shape of the 90-centimeter-high silver pot, although the head shape of the pot has different theories of sheep's head, deer head and horse's head, some foreign scholars also have different judgments and speculations on the origin and time of the silver pot, but they all admit that there are distinct characteristics of Sassanid Persian dynasty and Sogdian gold and silverware. Mr. Su Bai believes that this thin-necked pot "is a popular artifact in Persia and Sogdia in the 7th and 10th centuries, and the thin-necked pot with a handle on the neck of a sheep's head was once found in the murals of the Uighur period in Turpan, Xinjiang." The four-petaled sphere pattern in the traditional Ornament of West Asia is especially popular in Sassanid gold and silverware. Human figures and costumes are more characteristic of Central Asia and West Asia, and it is estimated that this silver pot was made in the 7th-9th centuries in the southern part of the Amu Darya River Basin to the west of Khorasan. It was transmitted to Lhasa, either through present-day Xinjiang and Qinghai, or by Kashmir and Ali." This analysis and judgment is undoubtedly correct, although some Tibetan scholars, in order to highlight the importance of Tubo culture, emphasize that this silver pot is a native Tibetan product of the Tubo period, but more cultural factors in the shape and ornamentation come from Central Asia adjacent to Tubo, at least it should be the product of cultural exchanges between the Tubo era and the Western Regions. The Tubo nobility advocated the use of treasures from the Central Plains of the Tang Dynasty and exquisite luxury goods from Central Asia in the Western Regions. They generally obtain exotic art items by giving gifts or even looting.
Careful observation, the silver pot belly image engraved two "rebound pipa" male dancers, the appearance of the image is not exactly with the characteristics of deep eyes and high nose, a full face beard, a figure eight apostrophe, although it has the characteristics of curly hair and strong body, but there is a certain difference with the appearance characteristics of the Hu figurines unearthed in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, because the relief process on the metal vessel is made of the craftsman hammering up, compared with the hu figure seen in the past, it will be deformed, more similar to the characteristics of the northwestern Indians. These two male dancers put the pipa on the back neck, the back hand rebounds, and the one-legged independent "Hu Whirling Dance" pose is particularly in line with the image depicted in "Shiguo Hu'er people are rare, squatting dance is like a bird in front of the zun", this dance posture is repeatedly appeared in the art image materials such as the Northern Dynasty Sui and Tang Dynasty line depictions, Hu people are wearing large lapel tight robes, soft boots, curly hair exposed, especially the crown on the head is decorated with sun and moon jewels, and the Western style is very obvious.
Tubo silver pot rebound pipa portrait one
Tubo silver pot rebound pipa figure two
Suspicious of the two "rebound pipa" dancers, a strong man wearing a brocade robe and a waist bag is bending down to support a drunken huren-like figure, and another person crouching at the feet of the drunkard and holding his right foot seems to be a group of people who are drunk after the carnival. The entire artistic picture of the Tubo silver pot shows the scene of the Central Asian Hu people singing and dancing to celebrate the festival.
Drunken Hu people combination portrait
The posture of the two rebound pipa dancers on the Tubo silver pot of the Jokhang Temple is exactly the same as that of the bouncing pipa dancer depicted by Empress Zhenshun of Chang'an Tang, and they are both two male dancers, not female figures, but the rebound pipa dance posture is exactly the same as that of the Dunhuang rebound pipa women. The three images of the rebound pipa dance are the same, although the locations are far apart, thousands of miles away still prove the commonality of cultural styles, and this artistic inspiration caters to and gathers influences, which cannot help but be amazing.
The "rebound pipa" of the Tang murals in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang
Regarding the earliest appearance of the rebound pipa, some people have speculated that it is the flying "rebound pipa" in the Northern Zhou Period in Cave 299 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, but this mural is difficult to judge whether it was intentional by the painter at that time, and the side image is plausible, which is probably a good ideal speculation of posterity.
Now researchers believe that the "rebound pipa" painting, first seen in the Mogao Caves Sheng Tang Dynasty 172nd Cave View Wu wu wu shou jing variation dance, on both sides is the accompanying band, in the middle is the waist drum and the rebound pipa dance form, one foot tip, one leg bent knee, from the degree of streamer flying and rotation can be seen, for the Tang Dynasty popular Hu whirling dance. The rebound pipa dance is a dance form created during the Tang Dynasty, and its performance is extremely exciting. If this judgment is correct, whether "Sheng Tang" refers to the twenty-ninth year of the Kaiyuan Dynasty or the fifteenth year of Tianbao, there is no clear concept of time for more than forty years (713-755), because this directly involves our comparison with the portrayal of the Hu people rebounding pipa line on the Stone Rafter of Empress Tang Zhenshun in the twenty-fifth year of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, and who comes first and who is later is directly related to the spread and absorption.
Mogao Cave No. 172 Guan WuLiang Shou Jing Xiang Rebound Pipa Figure Sheng Tang
Mogao Cave No. 172 Guan Wu Wu Shou Warp Rebound Pipa Diagram Line Drawing
In the disguised picture of the Infinite Life Sutra on the east side of the south wall of the 112th Cave of the Tang Dynasty in the Mogao Caves, the female dancers in the middle of the gorgeous costume put the pipa on the back of the shoulder, the right leg is held high, bent to the right, it seems that while playing the pipa behind the back, while flipping the long belt of the brocade, with the music to perform the music and dance of extremely difficult movements, the excellent dance posture proclaims the joy of the Pure Land, which is now a common "rebound pipa" dance in the history of dance research, and it is also the original state of the overwhelming propaganda painting.
Further research shows that the "rebound pipa" mural in Cave 112 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, which is currently the most popular, is timed in the Middle Tang Dynasty, that is, the works after the Sheng Tang Dynasty. Apparently, it appeared later than the wuhuifei stone rafter line depiction. More than ten murals from the late Tang Dynasty to the Western Xia in the Mogao Caves have rebound pipa dances, and we can observe their circulation.
Cave 112 of mogao caves In the Tang Dynasty, there is no life expectancy
Mogao Caves 5th Generation 98th Cave Dance Music Bodhisattva (Rebound Pipa) Line Drawing
There are many different views on whether the bouncing lute can play the lute in rotation. In fact, lifting the lute high behind the neck is probably impossible to retroactively flick. Even if you play the lute with a belt behind your back, it is not easy to hold the handle in your hand, and it is difficult to even play it with both hands. The pipa here may just be a prop lifted by a dance performance, and the instrument played when the front embrace is lowered. After all, the random imagination of each of them is the speculation of later generations on the ancients.
Generally speaking chronologically, from the dance form of "rebound pipa" that arose in the Sheng Tang Dynasty, to the Middle Tang Dynasty, this dance style was still popular, and it was only a painting gesture in the Grand Buddhist Sutra Painting, so the painters of Dunhuang continued to pay attention to the choice of this aesthetic dance movement, and it is likely that there are chalk copies as the source of large murals. Mr. Su Bai once believed that "the images of the rebound pipa in the silver pot figures are mostly found in the cave murals built in the Mogao Caves during the Tubo occupation of Dunhuang (781-848), such as the east side of the south wall of the 112th cave wall, according to which it seems that the dance style of the rebound pipa was popular in the 8th and 9th centuries."
As for the Five-StringEd Pipa of the Balance Period (724-750) collected by Shosoin in Nara, Japan, it is exactly the object of the Tang Dynasty, and there is an artistic image of a camel hu person holding a pipa in his left hand and holding a pipa in his right hand on the pole, which is known as the western Hufeng treasure of the Tang Dynasty that passed on to Japan from the east. But the Hu people play the lute while walking instead of the "bouncing pipa" dance movement. This is only circumstantial evidence that can be used as a reference for contemporaneous times, so it is not included in the scope of our in-depth discussion.
Gandhara from the 2nd to the 1st century AD "Hellenistic art" absorbed a large number of symbols and gods of different civilizations, Buddhist sculpture appeared after the 1st century AD, the Bodhisattva of Mahayana Buddhism is a typical Greek image, with hair and a straight nose, gandhara Buddha statues were manufactured in large quantities in the 3rd and 5th centuries AD, with the introduction to China, gradually from Hellenistic male to Chinese female appearance, beautiful men with beards into gentle and charitable beauty. Some of the bodhisattvas in the Dunhuang murals also have eight-character beards.
The banshee Siren in the Hellenistic mythological system once charmed sentient beings with her singing voice, and spread to India to become the Buddhist god of music, called Kalinga In Sanskrit, and called Miaoyin Bird in China. The image of the siren of the human head bird body, as the Buddhist chanting of the Jialing Pinjia, the phoenix body feather, or the flute flute or the lotus flower in hand, is dedicated to the bodhisattva, and has always been preserved in the Chinese Buddhist plastic arts, and there are specimens in the Mural painting of the 172nd Cave of the Shengtang Temple in Dunhuang.
If it is said that in the music and dance scene in front of the Amitabha Buddha's seat, the main figure of the mural in Cave 112 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, the rebound pipa trick Lotte is the attendant of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva, and its main function is to "entertain the Buddha", then the nature is the same as the ancient Greek priests who used dance to "entertain the gods" in front of the gods, but the male phase is disguised as a woman, and the strong and tall man's body becomes a flexible and soft light female appearance, and this otherworldly change in posture prompts us to think about how incredible the exchange of Eastern and Western cultures is.
Some people claim that "rebound pipa" is the peak of Chinese's original music and dance, and it is a stunt of national art in the history of Chinese dance, and it is not difficult for people to form such a superficial impression, because they have not seen a picture book of comparative measurement before, and now with the eyes of Chinese and Western comparison and mutual verification to learn from each other, compare and refer to each other, you will find that the integration of foreign cultures into China is the real peak.
Interpretation of the drawings and conclusions of the examination:
From the above three "rebound pipa" artistic images preserved in the 6th to 9th centuries, it is obvious that the earliest in the rebound pipa image is the stone rafter of The Zhenshun Empress in the 25th year of the New Century (737), and the entire stone rafter is full of foreign Western art, of which the images of two male Hu people rebounding the pipa are vivid and vivid. Although the specific age of the rebound pipa dancing gestures presented by the two male dancers on the Tubo silver pot of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa is a good basis for our comparison. The rebound pipa murals in Dunhuang, whether it is the Sheng Tang Dynasty or the Middle Tang Dynasty, all show the trajectory of the "rebound pipa" in the middle of the "Huahua", and the foreign style of the image base has been transformed and changed by the religious Great Sutra painting, integrated into the Buddhist painting, and the wonderful "rebound pipa" has become the female image of "Trick Lotte" in the Chinese aesthetics.
Chang'an, Tubo, Dunhuang, are all related to the Pulse of the Silk Road of East and West exchanges, "rebound pipa" painting as an interaction of art, from the Chang'an Hu people's slender male posture, to Dunhuang has become a soft and plump female figure; from the late Kaiyuan Chang'an appreciation of the palace music and dance style to the Dunhuang Buddhist Grottoes Heavenly Pure Land Singing and dancing scene; by the Chang'an Capital City Royal Art Painters spread to the Hands of Buddhist art painters in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Hexi, the creation of this art style and the transmission process of mutual influence of art, once seen in a thousand years, long-term influence, It gives people the opportunity to re-examine the history of Sheng Tang art and foreign civilizations, not only with accurate annual rings in the time chain, but also as a witness to the phoenix nirvana of the fusion of East and West.
(Source: Dunhuang Studies)