Handan, December 27 (ZXS) -- How to "insight" the integration of civilizations from the Xiangtangshan Grottoes?
Interview with Zhao Lichun, academic dean of Xiangtangshan Grottoes Research Institute.
Author: Niu Lin, translated by Wang Tian.
The Xiangtangshan Grottoes are the pinnacle of cave carving art in the late Northern Dynasties of China. It is located in Gushan, Fengfeng Mining Area, Handan City, Hebei Province, and is an important representative of the Eastern Wei Dynasty and Northern Qi Grottoes in China. Its excavation period is in the special stage of transformation from foreign culture to local Chinese culture, and its exquisite carving skills and complex and gorgeous pattern types are highly praised by people.
As one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in China, what is the unique style of the carving and decoration patterns of Xiangtangshan Grottoes?It has witnessed the collision and inheritance of the ancient Silk Road cultureChina News Service's "East and West Question" recently interviewed Zhao Lichun, academic dean of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes Research Institute.
The transcript of the interview is summarized below
China News Service: The large number of plant patterns in the Xiangtangshan Grottoes is a major change, why is this an epoch-making change in the history of Chinese ornamentation?How did the bold wind of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the elegant atmosphere of the Sui and Tang dynasties contained in the carved decorative patterns come about?
Zhao Lichun: During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the ancient Indian cave culture was introduced to China from the overland Silk Road through the Hexi Corridor, and all social strata generally revered Shakyamuni at that time, which made Buddhism develop rapidly and led the cave culture to enter a period of great prosperity.
In the Eastern Wei Dynasty and Northern Qi Dynasty, Ye was the upper capital, Jinyang was the lower capital, and the Xiangtang Mountain Grottoes excavated in the mountains and mountains were located in the places where the two places must pass through. The mountains and rivers here are beautiful, and there are groups of believers, and while developing into a place for the spread of Buddhism, it has gradually evolved into a "leaving palace" where emperors will come and go to rest and escape the summer.
Xiangtangshan Grottoes integrates many art forms such as architecture, sculpture, murals, etc., among which various carving and decorative patterns are extremely rich, mainly distributed in the cave door and road, the lintel, the cave roof, the ground in the cave, the central square pillar and the pedestal, the arch frieze of the Buddha shrine and the Buddha backlight, etc. Those "nameless" art craftsmen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, on the basis of mastering the traditional skills of their own national painting, sculpture, architecture, etc., actively absorbed and integrated exotic cultural elements such as India and Greece, so that the carving and decorative patterns of Xiangtangshan Grottoes perfectly integrated into the bold style of the Northern Wei Dynasty and opened the elegant atmosphere of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, delicate and vivid, forming a distinctive style and artistic characteristics of the times.
The statue of the Lord is in the front niche of the central square pillar of the Big Buddha Cave (Ninth Cave) of the North Xiangtangshan Grottoes, and the backlight of the main statue is covered with flame patterns with Zoroastrian characteristics. Photo by Zhao Lichun.
Some scholars and experts pointed out that in the history of the development of decorative arts, the Northern and Southern Dynasties were the watershed between the Qin and Han dynasties and the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the key significance of this division lies in the quiet rise of the theme of flower carving, and gradually replaced the theme of divine beasts to become the mainstream of decoration. Before the introduction of Buddhism, the traditional Chinese decorative themes were mainly based on the immortals, mythical beasts, and cloud patterns in local mythology. With the introduction of Buddhism, Chinese decorative arts completed the transformation of pattern decoration itself, and gave birth to a national pattern system with plants as the theme, which was confirmed in the Xiangtangshan Grottoes.
In the Xiangtang Mountain Grottoes, the most common decorative pattern theme is the plant pattern pattern, the grotto wall, the cave top caisson, the cave door Yongdao, the Buddha shrine and other corners have its figure, not only the lotus pattern, honeysuckle pattern, and began to appear with these two as the creative elements of the development of the formation of the curly grass pattern. A large number of plant patterns appeared in the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, which almost replaced the animal ornaments that had always been the mainstream since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and was an epoch-making change in the history of Chinese ornamentation. At the same time, its inclusiveness, variability, aesthetics, practicality, design and visual sense also provide a new theme and style for the subsequent oriental ancient decorative patterns.
China News Service: Why do the carved decorative patterns of Xiangtangshan Grottoes have unique foreign cultural customs?How does it reflect the cultural integration on the Silk Road?
Zhao Lichun: Early Chinese Buddhist carving art came from India, and most of them showed the influence of foreign cultures.
The Bodhisattva of the Northern Qi Dynasty on the left side of the Shakya Cave Gate of the North Xiangtang Mountain Grottoes. Photo by Zhao Lichun.
During the Northern Dynasties, there were constant wars and frequent changes of political power, and there was diversity and inclusiveness in aesthetic art under different rulers, and the Xiangtangshan Grottoes are a concentrated embodiment of cultural integration. Some of the decorations in the grottoes are influenced by Yungang and Longmen Grottoes, and some directly integrate the decorative style of Buddhism, and the decorative patterns of various different characteristics gradually change and transition in Xiangtang Mountain, and gradually form the "Xiangtang style" characteristic decorative art that integrates inheritance and innovation.
The North Xiangtang Mountain Grottoes carved the honeysuckle pattern and the bead pattern on the left side of the cave door Yongdao of the cave (the third cave). Photo by Zhao Lichun.
The most characteristic honeysuckle pattern of Xiangtangshan Grottoes is considered to be a kind of decoration originating from ancient Greece and even ancient Egypt, and it has gradually been integrated into the cave carving with the introduction of Buddhism. In the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, the honeysuckle pattern is combined with the characteristics of the Chinese plant honeysuckle, the large leaves are soft and curly, the small leaves are reversed, and the shape of the curved and spiraling is undulating in the grottoes, creating a continuous rhythmic beauty of two parties. It can be said that the honeysuckle pattern carving of Xiangtangshan Grottoes not only has the influence of Indian Buddhist culture, but also integrates the elements of Han culture to form a new type of diversified Buddhist decorative art, which has high artistic, research and appreciation value.
Honeysuckle patterns are also often used in combination with bead patterns, lotus patterns and traditional Chinese cloud patterns. Like the main Buddha statue, Bodhisattva statue and flying sculpture in the Xiangtang Mountain Grottoes, it is often dotted with honeysuckle patterns, delicate and smooth lines and cloud patterns, flame patterns, and bead patterns complement each other, floating clouds float, flowers and plants fall, showing vigorous vitality and unique charm.
The statue of the Lord is in the front niche of the central square pillar of the Big Buddha Cave (Ninth Cave) of the North Xiangtangshan Grottoes, and the backlight of the main statue is covered with flame patterns with Zoroastrian characteristics. Photo by Zhao Lichun.
There is also the lotus decoration, which is one of the most popular decorative art patterns during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. With the introduction and rise of Indian Buddhism, the traditional Chinese lotus pattern and the Indian Buddhist lotus pattern influenced each other, achieving perfect integration and extensive application, rapid development, and reached its heyday. In the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, lotus flowers are generally decorated in important positions such as the center of the caisson, the throne, the headlight and the backlight. The lotus petals are mainly realistic, the lotus petals are pointed, the petal type is hypertrophied, whether it is the Yanglian decorated on the lintel, the tunic lotus decorated on the octagonal prism, or the lotus wrapped in the jewel decorated on the Tasha, the flower shape is graceful and gorgeous, the lines are beautiful and smooth, and the tension is rich.
Xiangtangshan Grottoes is the embodiment of the convergence and integration of Chinese civilization and Central Asian and West Asian cultures, the culture of these regions spread eastward along the ancient Silk Road, and the art of carving decorative patterns from India, through the integration of Central Asia and then absorbed by the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, and the Eastern and Western cultures witnessed the achievements of the Silk Road in the integration and promotion of civilization in the continuous collision and exchange.
China News Service: Xiangtangshan Grottoes are located in the same area as Cizhou Kiln, the largest private kiln system in northern China
Zhao Lichun: The Xiangtangshan cave carvings and the Cizhou kiln porcelain culture both originated in the late Northern Dynasties of China in the mid-sixth century, a period of turmoil in both the East and the West, which also promoted the flow of people and gave rise to more practical creations. In particular, the Cizhou kiln mouth Linshui kiln and Pengcheng kiln in the Fuyang River basin are located in the surrounding area of the southern foot of Gushan where the Xiangtangshan grottoes are located. The grotto is on the mountain, the kiln factory is at the bottom of the mountain, and the artistic exchange between them is extremely close in the long run.
Cizhou kiln after the Sui and Tang dynasties, to the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties to reach its peak, its decorative art is to remove, carve, scratch the flower as the basic technique, the pattern is varied, but honeysuckle pattern and lotus petal pattern become the mainstream of its plant decorative patterns. The lotus petal pattern had a great influence on ceramic decoration in the Northern Dynasties, mainly due to the popularization of Buddhist beliefs and Buddhist statues during the Northern Dynasties. The honeysuckle grass pattern had a deep influence on the decorative patterns of Cizhou kilns in the Northern Song Dynasty and later. It can be seen that the pattern art of Xiangtangshan Grottoes presents its unique artistic charm in its individual form, which affects the whole process of the formation and development of the decorative art characteristics of Cizhou kiln.
Due to the geographical proximity, the Xiangtangshan Grottoes are the main place of prayer for the kiln owners and kiln workers in Cizhou. In the current Xiangtangshan grottoes, there are still the inscriptions of a group of donors in Pengcheng Town, the main kiln mouth of Cizhou kiln. As far as the eye can see, the heart will inevitably be transferred to life, production and creation, among them, the most prominent decorative pattern in the decoration technique of Cizhou kiln - tangled branch peony pattern, may be inspired by the honeysuckle pattern in the Xiangtangshan grottoes. The biggest difference between the honeysuckle pattern of Xiangtangshan Grottoes and the three-leaf honeysuckle pattern of Yungang and Longmen Grottoes is that its leaf decoration form is mostly four-leaf and five-leafed, and the biggest feature is that the vines are wound into two continuous S-shapes, and the branches are separated from the leaf veins, and the curve is smooth and full, which is the unique artistic style of Xiangtangshan Grottoes. At the arch of the Buddha shrine in the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, a large number of this two-sided continuous honeysuckle pattern is used, which has a strong visual effect and decorative meaning, which must have a subtle influence on the creation of the Cizhou kiln workers at that time.
The carving art of Xiangtangshan Grottoes will be closely integrated with the Western Regions culture and Han culture spread through the Silk Road, and the Cizhou kiln porcelain under its influence will go out of the sea in the east and the desert in the west through the ancient sea and land Silk Road, and be exported to foreign lands, showing the inclusive and innovative "Chinese aesthetics" to people around the world with unique aesthetic pursuit and cultural spirit. (ENDS).
Interviewee Profile:
Zhao Lichun, academic dean of Xiangtangshan Grottoes Research Institute, associate researcher of Wenbo. He is mainly engaged in the research of folk art such as Buddhist cave archaeology, art history, and Cizhou kiln. He is the author of more than ten works, such as "Xiangtangshan Grottoes Art", "Xiangtangshan Grottoes Northern Dynasty Carved Sutra Calligraphy" (a set of three books), "The Complete Works of Chinese Buddhist Art: Xiangtangshan Grottoes" (cooperation between the upper and lower volumes), and "Cizhou Kiln Culture Series" (a set of five books). Participated in the compilation of the national key publishing project "The Complete Works of Chinese Grotto Sculptures: Northern Synthesis Volume" and "The Complete Works of Chinese Wood-Block New Year Paintings". He has published more than 50 academic papers. The digitization of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes was started, and universities at home and abroad were united to digitally collect and sort out the grottoes and the cultural relics lost overseas, and carry out virtual restoration and digital display, so as to realize the 1:1 restoration of statues and statue fragments lost overseas more than 100 years ago through 3D printing technology.