Zhang Chuanshou.
New Year's painting "Vientiane Renewal", by Wang Yiting.
The plan of the year lies in the spring. At the beginning of spring, posting the "Spring Cow Picture" at home is a traditional rural custom in some places.
The Spring Ox is a classic image used in the spring ritual activities of traditional farming societies. The standard schema of "Spring Cow Picture" is the combination of spring ox and Jumang, which is generally the image of Jumang whipping the spring cow. Because in traditional culture, "unearthing cattle to send cold air" is an important ritual for the ancients to drive away the cold and welcome spring. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the drawing specifications for the image, color, position and other details of the spring cow and the jumang were established. During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the painters inherited and followed the painting specifications of the Northern Song Dynasty, and on this basis, there were slight changes. The unified image of the spring cow and the jumang not only prompts people to pay attention to the changes of the spring season of the year, but also plays a role in the propaganda and education of guiding customs with etiquette and persuading farmers to cultivate.
Most of the popular folk "Spring Ox Picture" is printed by engraving, and the artistic style is quite regional, the picture is rich in content, and the layout is exquisite. By combing through the existing images, it can be found that the connotation of "Spring Cow Picture" has been gradually enriched in the process of folk communication, and a large number of folk functions and social life meanings have been integrated, such as agricultural instructions, Zhao Feng Minoru, Na auspicious, table current affairs, etc., reflecting the free and vigorous artistic creativity of folk artists.
The years do not live, and the seasons flow. Nowadays, on the basis of further strengthening the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the traditional spring rites and customs related to the "Spring Ox" have been better protected, and the "Spring Ox" has entered modern life and glows with new brilliance. If the traditional "Spring Ox" is the key to guide the public to follow the etiquette of the beginning of spring and guide farming, then the modern "Spring Ox" has become an important carrier for people to depict new hope, eulogize new life, and enhance cultural identity. In Tianjin Yangliuqing, Shandong Weifang Yangjiabu, Shanxi Xinjiang and other New Year painting production areas, the newly printed "Spring Cow Picture" carries the beautiful meaning of life and adds cultural brightness to the people's lives.
From cultural heritage to cultural resources to be exploited, "Spring Cow" is empowered by creative design to show vitality. Some designers have transformed the image of the spring cow in the traditional "Spring Cow" into a highly recognizable IP symbol, innovatively expressed the cultural spirit contained in the "Spring Cow", created a series of cultural and creative products that are more popular with young people, and connected the historical and contemporary cultural memory. For example, some designers personify the spring cow, express themselves creatively in an easy-to-understand visual language, and apply the results to the design of derivatives such as mobile phone cases and emojis, so that the spring cow can be integrated into daily life. Some designers deliberately highlight the decorative nature of "Spring Cow", while retaining its traditional appearance, they use comic creation techniques to make the new Spring Ox and Jumang images more in line with contemporary aesthetic orientation. The in-depth excavation and creative transformation of Chunniu cultural resources has also become an important means for some places to help the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism and promote the revitalization of rural culture.
In museums around the country, a variety of public education activities have been carried out around the "Spring Ox Map", which has become an effective way to interpret the cultural code of solar terms. China's first historical archives have the Qing Dynasty "Jumang Sacred Cow Picture", based on this, the museum will launch a new "Spring Cow Picture" at the beginning of spring every year with relevant knowledge, published on WeChat***, for the public to use as mobile phone or computer wallpaper, expressing the meaning of welcoming the spring and sending blessings. In the 24 solar terms research activities held at the China Arts and Crafts Museum, the teacher led the children to learn to draw spring cow drawings and make Zha Yan kites, so that teenagers could feel the charm of traditional culture in hands-on practice. Some museums also hold activities such as making paper art koharu cows at the beginning of spring. When the lovely spring cows are formed in their hands, the seeds of love for traditional culture in the hearts of children also take root and sprout. Through multiple forms of interactive learning, more attention has been paid to the intangible cultural heritage related to solar term culture, and the spring cow that has come out of the traditional schema provides inspiration for the creative transformation and innovative development of festival images.
In the beginning of spring, the various art forms of "beating spring cattle" and "dancing spring cattle" activities opened in the streets, communities and fields. In these activities, the image of "Spring Cow" has further broken away from the ancient modeling regulations and color constraints, and has become an important carrier for activating rural memories and showing multiculturalism according to local conditions. There are also some artists who refine the cultural elements in "Spring Ox" and transform them into modern dances and ensembles, reflecting the broad space for the inheritance and development of folk culture and art.
In ancient times, there was a "spring cow" engraved with farming memories, and now there is a "spring cow" to paint a colorful year. Although the rituals related to the beginning of spring and the aesthetic tastes of the times are still evolving, the cultural core of praying for blessings contained in "Spring Ox" has not changed. While guiding people to have an in-depth understanding and experience of the ritual culture of the beginning of spring, it also carries the hope of a good year and plays the overture of spring.
The author is an associate professor at Shandong Institute of Arts and Crafts).
People** 2024-02-04 08 Edition).