On new clothes for the Year of the Dragon, those that contain the "dragon" element are always particularly eye-catching. Although the image of the dragon is ever-changing, the dragon pattern, as a representative of traditional Chinese ornamental patterns, has different highlights in different historical periods. From simple and naïve to complex and smart, along with the historical development of the Chinese nation, the development and evolution of the dragon image is also endless.
From naïve to romantic.
In the long history of China, the form of the dragon has been conceived and evolved in people's imagination, and has gradually become a mysterious image of a variety of animal totems.
In the pre-Qin period, the image of the dragon was not fixed. In the description of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", the image of the dragon is very complex and diverse, including "the head of a bird and the body of a dragon", "the body of a dragon and the face of a human", "the face of a snake", "the body of a dragon with wings and a horse", "the body of a man and a fish" and other forms.
Many excavated cultural relics can also support this view. For example, the jade dragon unearthed in Sanxingtala Village, Wengniute Banner, Inner Mongolia, is a combination of the pig's head and the snake's body, showing the affinity of the pig and the agility of the snake. The pottery dragon found at the site of Tao Temple in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province is an image of a huge mouth with sharp teeth and a long letter in the mouth, which looks like a snake and a crocodile.
During this period, most of the dragon's forms were simple and cute, and the dragon's pattern lines were relatively simple, so they also showed a slightly cute "painting style".
During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, dragon patterns began to be applied to bronze ware, mainly with straight lines and curves as the supplement, and the dragon's head, horns, eyes, nose, mouth, and claws were exaggerated in shape, making it more majestic and solemn.
By the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the shape of the dragon began to gradually stabilize, and the silhouette of the dragon began to become more meandering. In "Zhou Yi", descriptions such as "seeing the dragon in the field, seeing the lord" and "flying the dragon in the sky, seeing the lord" and other descriptions make the sacred attributes of the dragon highlighted. At this time, the image of the dragon has been regarded by many scholars as a sacred being that symbolizes the yang energy of the heavens, and has a supreme status.
During this period, the dragon pattern was gradually integrated with other animal and plant patterns, showing a rich and colorful character. In the silk paintings and embroidery unearthed from the tomb of Chu, we can see that the dragon and the phoenix pattern, the flower and grass pattern, and the geometric pattern are intertwined and fused, and the colorful patterns such as the dancing phoenix flying dragon pattern, the dragon and phoenix tiger pattern, and the dragon flying phoenix pattern come into being.
Among them, the dragon, phoenix and tiger stripes in the collection of Jingzhou Museum are very representative, which is based on the continuous composition skeleton of the diamond-shaped quadripartite, adopts the composition mode of symmetry in the center, and vividly expresses the arrangement of the dragon, phoenix and tiger animals intertwined with each other through the embroidery method of lock embroidery. It can be seen that the dragon pattern of this period is generally beautiful and vigorous, with a romantic aesthetic style, which laid the foundation for the development of the dragon pattern in the later period.
By the Qin and Han dynasties, the dragon pattern was gradually finalized. The dragon has a sturdy body, a slender neck, and a slender tail. The addition of beards, elbow hair, and other elements makes the image of the dragon more powerful. During this period, some dragons with wings also appeared, which also shows that the image of the dragon has always been integrated with various new elements.
On February 15, the public watched and learned about dragon culture in the traditional dragon pattern exhibition area of Zizhuyuan Park in Beijing. (*From China News Service).
Convergence and peaks.
From the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, with the development of the Silk Road and the introduction of Buddhism, the design of the dragon pattern reached a new height.
At that time, with the development of foreign countries, cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries became more and more frequent, which provided more creative inspiration for craftsmen. The design and innovation of the dragon pattern also continue to absorb the elements of foreign culture, forming a unique new style.
In the Astana area of Turpan, Xinjiang, a pair of dragon patterns has been unearthed. On this delicate piece of fabric, the dragon pattern is skillfully arranged in a round cluster of flowers, arranged in a quadripartite continuous manner, the whole composition is both plump and gorgeous, and the symmetrical double dragon pattern shows the unique style of Persian tapestry. The craftsmen skillfully combined the bead pattern of the Persian Sassanid Dynasty with the traditional Chinese dragon pattern to create a new pattern that not only has the characteristics of foreign patterns, but also highlights the charm of local culture.
In addition, the prosperity of Buddhism has also brought more inspiration and changes to the design of the dragon pattern. Patterns such as curly grass, auspicious clouds, and 10,000 characters have been cleverly combined and innovated with dragons, such as cloud dragon patterns, water dragon patterns, grass dragon patterns, etc.
During this period, the image of the dragon appeared on many Buddhist sculptures as the main decoration of Buddhist statues, like the flying sky and the lotus flower. In addition to this, the form of a dragon also appears on the Buddha's robe. In the round carving of the Buddha statue in the Mingdao Temple, the part of the body on the knee of the front of the Buddha robe is carved with a flying dragon, the flying dragon jumps jubilantly, the dragon body bends into a semi-ring, the dragon head is looking back, and there is a lotus flower in the mouth.
These novel designs not only enrich the artistic expression of the dragon pattern, but also demonstrate the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese culture.
During the Song and Yuan dynasties, the design of the dragon pattern gradually reached the artistic peak of both form and spirit, delicate and elegant. The dragon pattern of the Song Dynasty, under the style tone of secularization and realism, completed the basic stereotype of the Chinese dragon image. As Guo Ruoxu said, painting a dragon needs to be "folded out of three stops and divided into nine likes", and the dragon pattern of this period reflects the essence of this theory.
Among them, the sleeve edge of the double dragon moire embroidered shirt unearthed from the tomb of Cao in the southern suburbs of Suzhou is the bright pearl of dragon pattern art in this period. The golden embroidery thread embroiders the radiant and delicate dragon body, the lines are smooth and coordinated, and the craftsmanship is exquisite, which is breathtaking.
Aesthetics of elegance and vulgarity.
Different from the public's impression, the application of dragon patterns in clothing is not limited to royal nobles, and ordinary people's daily clothing has also incorporated a very diverse dragon pattern design.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, dragon patterns appeared more in clothing patterns, and showed the characteristics of elegance and common appreciation. The dragon patterns of this period are divided into two main forms: one is the court dragon, which tends to be delicate, ornate, and cumbersome; The other is the folk dragon, which presents a fresh, simple, and rugged beauty.
The dragon pattern design of the palace pays attention to the depiction of details and the exquisite craftsmanship, showing a magnificent artistic effect. The dragon pattern on the auspicious dress of Empress Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty is one of the outstanding representatives of the dragon pattern of the Qing Dynasty. The dragon's head is full and three-dimensional, the eyes are shining, and the beard is fluttering, as if it will rise into the air at any time. The dragon body is slender and graceful, with smooth curves, showing the unique style of the dragon pattern of the Qing Dynasty to the fullest. This court-style dragon pattern is often used as the main pattern in clothing, and is used with auspicious clouds, flowers and other patterns to enhance the overall beauty.
In contrast, the folk dragon design pays more attention to simplicity, naturalness and practicality. The dragon pattern of the abduction dragon on the cuffs of the blue four-season jacquard silk jacket is a variant of the dragon pattern, the height of the dragon head is simplified, and the dragon body is a combination of back pattern and twig pattern. This kind of "abduction pattern" is widely used in the folk, and its "abduction" is homophonic with "gui", implying prosperity, tranquility and wealth of descendants. This folk style dragon pattern is often used as a secondary pattern in clothing, and is used with geometric patterns, plant patterns, etc., to create a fresh and simple artistic effect.
In modern times, the dragon pattern is still radiating new vitality. Designers combine traditional dragon pattern elements with modern fashion to create clothes that are both classic and modern. In traditional costumes such as cheongsam and hanfu, dragon patterns are often presented in the form of embroidery, printing, etc., echoing the color, fabric and style of the clothing, forming a harmonious and unified whole.
In fact, in different historical periods, dragon patterns have their own unique styling characteristics. In the primitive period, it was the product of the integration of various clans, tribes, and nationalities in ancient times; During the Warring States Qin and Han dynasties, it was combined with cloud patterns and air patterns in large quantities, demonstrating people's reverence for heaven and earth and exploration of the universe at that time. When Buddhism was introduced and Taoism arose, the dragon pattern was combined with these religious patterns.
Throughout the development of the dragon pattern, we will see a "and" character. This kind of "harmony" does not only refer to the superposition and integration of different pattern elements on the surface, but also covers the deep integration and resonance after the exchange and collision of different cultures. As a unique cultural expression, the dragon pattern not only reflects the aesthetic pursuit of the ancients, but also conveys their yearning for harmony, unity and the unity of heaven and man. (End) (Original title: Chinese Aesthetics in the Dragon Pattern).
Author: Liu Yunying, Xu Shuai.