What is the three lions fortune drum (stone)

[Culture] Various kinds of holding drum stone

1, background

Home is the earliest type of building in human history, but also the most basic and common form of home. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of the Southern Tang Dynasty of Xu Kingland "Shuo Wen" small Xu Ben has: "House, the support of the residence also", this passage in the ancient people have long been out of the residential system people rely on the concept of living in the residence. And the formation of this variety of Chinese residential prototype is a different regional climate and lifestyle caused by, but one thing is **** common: is that the people of China for the importance of the house door. It is not only the entrance and exit of the house, but also the facade that symbolizes the social, economic and political status of the owner. (See Figure 1) www.dolcn.com

The house door is not only an independent single building door, or the whole building compound group wall door. Especially for the Chinese compound buildings known for "the beauty of group contact" [1] (P.60), the house door is one of the most important nodes in the chain of the outer wall, which is the key point to isolate the outside world and defend against external disturbances, and it is the necessary characteristic element of all the walls with the role of enclosing space and defining. Therefore, the house door is a product of Chinese wall culture. A house door symbol can express the cultural connotation that cannot be reached by words, which is not only the centralized embodiment of the ritual culture, but also the external sign of the actual feudal hierarchy. The Chinese so-called "family", "gateway", "sect" concept is also deduced from this. And the house door in the most can show the difference between the grade and status of the owner of the decorative artifacts is to hold the drum stone.

1.1 What is a drum stone

The drum stone is generally located at the entrance to the house door, shaped like a drum of two artificially carved stone components, because it has a form as if holding a drum resting on the stone base, so named. (See Figure 2, 3) hold the drum stone folk name more, such as: stone drum, door drum, round drum, stone dowel drum, stone mirror and so on. In front of the traditional residential gate is very common (such as the Beijing courtyard house hanging flower door, Huizhou ancestral hall version of the door and so on). In the traditional pagoda building (such as pagoda, latticework door) there are also similar to hold the drum stone clamping rod stone (also known as the door stop stone), it is unique to the pagoda building important components, mainly to play a role in stabilizing the columns.

Figure 2 Ruyi drum stone in front of Yulan Gate of Summer Palace in Beijing, photo by Wu Wei Figure 3 Luo's Ancestral Hall in Shexian County, Anhui Province, screws and clams drum stone, photo by Wu Wei

Household door drum stone is a kind of door pillow stone. Door pillow stone commonly known as the door stone, door seat, door platform, Zhenmen Shi, etc., is the threshold of the inside and outside of the two sides of the installation and stabilization of the doorway axis of a functional component, because it is carved into a pillow-shaped or box-shaped, so called door pillow stone. (See Figure 4) Taiwan folk because there have been beggars sitting on it, so there is a "beggar's chair" [2] name. It can not only bear and balance the weight of the door, but also strong door frame. Therefore, the inner part of the door is a support component, the outer part of the door is a balance component. In ancient times, the door did not have hinges, hinges, etc., is to rely on the door pillows and even the pillar (Song Dynasty, called chicken wood) to fix the door, if there is no door pillows against the door frame, switching the door will be shaky. Later, in order to distinguish between the door, they increase the area of the door, the door outside the pillow stone part of the corresponding expansion of the prominence of the head, the higher the head, and then the material and labor far more than the actual functional role of the door pillows, and appeared similar to the drum-shaped drum stone.

1.2 version of the door and drum stone

The appearance of the door is the first doorway, after the door. In order to facilitate access, open a hole in the closed wall, which has a "doorway" frame; in order to defend against theft, it is necessary to add a door that can be easily closed, which appeared in the concept of "doorway". Generally speaking, the existence of things is inseparable from its dependent environment and a specific space, holding the drum stone is no exception, its existence is and the important position of the door system residential inseparable. The most representative of the house door is the version of the door. Design

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Ming and Qing dynasties residential door is mostly plate door (such as chessboard door), and generally for two door panels. The Song "Construction Method Style" stipulates that the ratio of width to height of each panel door is 1:2~2.5.[3] (P.200) The doorway part of the panel door is composed of the surrounding horizontal sill and the door frame (horizontal is the sill, vertical is the frame), and its doorway part is composed of the door leaf, door pillow, and the connecting pillar. The pillar here refers to a long, flat horizontal wooden square on the inside of the center sill above the doorway. It is locked together with the center sill by the door hairpin, and the door hairpin is generally 2-4 pieces, and the appearance can be made into round, square, hexagonal, octagonal, multi-valve shape and so on. [3] (P.224) specific structure for the threshold (i.e., under the threshold, through the "door can") inserted in the middle of the door pillow stone groove (see Figure 5), when needed, can also be pulled out and put aside. And then the door frame and the threshold, the pillar connected to each other, the door through the door pillows, the pillar firmly with the door (lower) threshold, in the threshold together. The bottom of the door to the ground there are tens of centimeters of distance, which is determined by the height of the door pillow, but is very conducive to water and moisture. Door left and right side of the side of the coupling board slightly longer than the heart, known as the big side, can be used as a pivot, the lower part of which is inserted into the inner part of the door pillow stone threshold chiseled mortar groove (commonly known as the sea nest), the upper part of the upper part is fixed in the sill of the inner side of the even carpet in the holes, through such a component, a heavy door can be more comfortable to open.

1.3 Efficacy and Classification of Hugu Shi

As mentioned above, Hugu Shi is not a mere decoration, but a set of organic components to support the two door panels, so that the large door panels can be stabilized upright and rotating door casement. Specific effect has three points:

1, functional components, is as a support and stabilize the door plate door axis, reinforcement or installation of the threshold of a component, is conducive to preventing the door plate shaken by external forces, greatly enhancing the stability of the door frame, play a role in contact with the threshold. Another by the pillow stone cushion can also be waterproof and moistureproof. External drum stone is mainly responsible for the balance of the large door plate weight function, the weight of its front to balance the gravity of the door plate rotation.

2, and the door hairpin, threshold, door, door, door frame together to produce an overall decorative effect to enhance the sense of beauty, have a blessing, good luck, warding off evil spirits and other decorative effects.

3, the noble form of the gate, is a symbol of the social, economic, political rank and status of the owner of the building residence. Hugging the drum stone is with Chinese house door characteristics of architectural decorative vignettes, can be used as a symbol of the mansion door. Design Online. China

The drum stone can be generally divided into two kinds: one is the ancestral hall of the Huizhou house door drum stone as a representative of the style, the author called "screw clam drum stone", more than three sections: the lower part of the base, the middle part of the support pieces, the upper part of the drum stone. The whole modeling asymmetry, the drum stone has to the outward protrusion of the momentum, much like a screw or snail, the drum stone is like the heavy shell on its back. Another is to Beijing courtyard house door (main door or two door) as a representative of the style, I call "Ruyi drum stone", can also be divided into three sections: the lower part of the carving of the Sumeru seat, the seat is covered with a square brocade towel, the middle of the two horizontally placed imitation conical drums and the lower part of the square brocade towel combination of Ruyi shape, on the upper part of the vertical drums, drums in general, the top of the general also has a carved reclining lion." Ruyi drum stone" is more symmetrical, the whole shape of the integrated, there is only an imitation cone drum and the square scarf composed of half Ruyi form according to the pillar drum stone. (See Figure 6) According to "create French", the upper part of the drum carved into the shape of a lion, called the lion arsenic or by the lion arsenic. [4] drum stone material generally have stone and wooden (such as Taishun Shin village Huang ancestral hall door of wooden drum stone) two kinds.

2, holding the drum stone is "either noble or rich" symbol of the gate

Holding the drum stone is the official government offices in front of the drums and guarding the combination of lions. The rank of the drum stone is determined by the rank of the door. Because of the need to distinguish the rank on the residential gate, this is the direct cause of the differences in the styling of today's door pillow stone. Qing Zhang Tingyu and other compiled "Ming Shi - public opinion four" in: "Hundreds of officials in the residence: ...... Marquis, ...... door three, five frame, with gold lacquer and animal tin ring. First grade, second grade, ...... door three rooms, five frames, green oil, animal face tin ring. Third grade to fifth grade,...... door three rooms, three frames, black oil, tin ring. Sixth to ninth grade, ...... one door, three frames, black door, iron ring." The Qing Dynasty also followed the Ming system, "Qing Law": "one or two products main door three five frames, three to five products main door three three frames, six to nine products main door a three frames. [1] (P.60) can be seen in the Ming and Qing dynasties clearly stipulated the official's residence door grade specification, grade different door house of different frame, so accordingly the size of the portal is also different. Therefore, the larger the portal, the corresponding door pillows should also be larger. In order to achieve the form and function of large-size door, must increase the volume of the door pillow stone outside the threshold. Based on the pursuit of people for the house door decoration level, naturally will not ignore the entrance of the pair of door pillows stone components of the decoration, then why did the ancients chose the drum as the shape of the door pillows?

"Shuo Wen": "drums, drumming also." Ancient China drums, drums, drums, etc. has formed the behavioral characteristics of the official system, the drum has become the symbol of the official Yamen. In the Ming and Qing dynasties Yamen mouth with drums is to "beat the drum to ascend to the hall" with, here the purpose of drumming is to pass the sound. In ancient times, large families had deep courtyards, and just by tapping the head of the store or the door cymbal may not be enough to let the people in the courtyard hear, so it is reasonable to beat the drum to spread the sound. So we can imagine that the official family in the house door door pillow stone carved a symbol of notification of visitors to the drum shape, there is a psychological padding. Because of its appearance is very beautiful and powerful, imitation of the wind a open the rest is customized. So placed to hold the drum stone has become a symbol of the status of the portal of the right. Similarly, because the drum is a special musical instrument, the drum stone as a symbol of mana to ward off evil spirits and disasters, in front of Buddhist temples and ancestral halls and other temples to put the drum stone is also logical. In addition, the door pillow stone can be made into a circle above the square base with the lower part of the composition of the "circle of heaven and earth" modeling relationship. As for the drum stone on the lion modeling, I thought it is closely related to the yamen in front of the stone lions, we can still see today in the Forbidden City in the whole stone lions made of the door pillow stone. (See Figure 7) Design Online. China

Figure 7 Stone lion door pillow stone in the Forbidden City Wu Wei photo

So, in the feudal era of hierarchy, only the official family's mansion door, can be placed to hold the drum stone, the ordinary citizens are only worthy of using the door pillow stone. However, why some of the Ming and Qing dynasties engaged in commercial large families can also be placed in the door of the house drum stone? This is because of the ancient donation system. In the 13th year of the Kangxi period (1674), the central government of the Qing Dynasty decided to cut the feudal lords on a large scale, and in order to make up for the lack of military pay, it issued a donation decree, which led to the proliferation of the system of donating to the government. Civilian posts could be donated to the Langzhong (5th rank) and Daoshan (4th rank), while military posts could be donated to the General (7th rank), Thousand General (6th rank), and even the General (3rd rank). Yongzheng, Qianlong two dynasties, donate more frequently, become another way to enter the service. This donation policy for businessmen to expand the political capital at the same time also holds the drum stone flowers fell on the businessmen to lay the foundation of the ritual system. After the donation of official title, the expansion of the mansion of the rank restrictions can be reduced, the mansion can be constructed more expansive and more elegant. Merchants hope that someone in the family through the examination or donate to the government, in order to highlight the family, thus causing the phenomenon of some areas of Shanxi nowadays businessman compound house door more than holding drum stone. [5] After the death of the Qing Dynasty, the residence construction level restriction was canceled, many bureaucrats, warlords, rich families moved into Beijing in the new construction, remodeling of the residence will be even more disregard for the system. [1] (P.65) Thus a sizable number of large and small holding drum stones survived in Beijing. As a result, the Ruyi drum stone of the Beijing courtyard houses and the screw and clam drum stone of the Huizhou Ancestral Hall have become the symbols of "either noble or rich" in a residence. Design Online. China

3, holding the drum stone and lion, pepper figure

Holding the drum stone decorative pattern with what good? The current remains of the drum stone pattern is colorful, from the subject matter, can be divided into beasts and auspicious clouds, birds, flowers, insects and fish and utensils, etc., from the carving part can be divided into the drum seat, drums, drums, drums, the top of the three major categories. Drum seat more relief with peony, lotus, hibiscus, sunflower and Ruyi pattern, curly grass pattern, auspicious clouds and other patterns, expresses the meaning of good fortune, is a symbol of good fortune and wealth; drum decorated with graphics both in low relief patterns, and high relief of the lion. If there is a spiral curve of decorative patterns (see Figure 8), but also engraved with three lions play ball (three play wine, see Figure 9), four lions in the same hall (four), five lions guardrail (five blessings) and other patterns; drums above the top of the general is also carved into a lion shape, there are standing lions, squatting lions, or recumbent lions. The lion, the king of beasts, is a symbol of the majesty of the big families in the old days.

In the door pillows carved on the stone head of the beast, a long time ago, legend has it has the function of the house to avoid evil. For example, the existing Museum of Chinese History in the Northern Wei Dynasty Emperor Feng Huang's mausoleum (built in 484 A.D.) of the stone coupon door, the outside of the door pillows stone is made of the tiger's head. In addition, the stone beasts carved on the Hugu stones in Beijing include the winged beasts of the Tang Dynasty (now at the Five Pagodas Temple), the stone tigers of the Liao and Jin Dynasties (now at the Five Pagodas Temple), and the stone lions of the Yuan Dynasty (now at the Myoying Temple). [6] From the picture data collected so far, it is no coincidence that most of the North and South Drum-carrying Stones chose the lion in their decorative techniques. Because this is not an ordinary lion but the dragon born nine sons of pepper figure, is known as the folk "swallow mouth" of the beast graphics. [7] Its real name is "pepper figure". Legend has it that the dragon has nine sons, each with their own magic power and personality, look different. Yang Shen's "Shengan set - Volume 81 dragon born nine sons" has: "the common rumor that the dragon was born nine sons, do not become a dragon, each has its own good. ...... nine said pepper figure, shaped like a screw clam, sex is good to close, so stand in the door store first ...... "so" pepper figure "like a screw clam in the water, there is a circle of threads, it prefers to close, placed in front of the door with the stone lions as is the same as the door. Therefore, the Huizhou ancestral hall house door holding a drum stone in the shape of a cool clam, while Taiwan holding a drum stone is more on the drum surface made of a spiral of the clam (Suzhou Huqiu mountain gate also has a similar holding a drum stone, see Figure 8). Both refer to the same symbolic semantics, homogeneous and heterogeneous only, are derived from the beautiful dragon born of nine sons of the Peppercorn legend.

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4, holding the drum stone and "door to door"

Holding the drum stone and the door hairpin because in the house door face up and down the remote echo, in the folk have the so-called "door to door" said. According to the author's examination of this statement has no basis in literature, but only one according to the two morphological characteristics of the open folk imagination. It is believed that the stone is the door, and there are two ways to say the door, one is the door hairpin, the other is the door store head or door cymbal. (See Figs. 10 and 11.) The holding-drum stone has already been made clear, the door pavement head has been described above as the pepper figure of the dragon bearing nine sons, and the door cymbal refers to the door clasp that looks like a round instrumental cymbal bulging in the center. Here may be said what is the door hairpin? The door hairpin is a component of the threshold of a house door that connects the pillars, and it is divided into two parts. The common shape of the door hairpin is its head, located on the outside of the threshold, generally square, round or hexagonal; its tail is a long flat tenon, through the threshold and the pillar to reveal the tenon, and then use a small wooden wedge to lock the tenon, so that the threshold and the pillar are connected. The number of hairpins depends on the size of the door, and there are two or four of them.

Figure 10: Illustration of a door hairpin by Wu Wei

Figure 11: Illustration of a door cymbal by Wu Wei

So what is the connection between door hairpins and households? First of all, let's take a look at the meaning of "household" in ancient Chinese. Shawen": "door, from two households", another "household, half of the door is said to household"; "all the scriptures sound" volume 14 quoted "word book" cloud: "a fan is said to household, two is said to door. And in the hall room said household, in the house area said door." Another example is the "book of rites - rituals": "There is no room and not by the household." (See Figure 12) can be seen in ancient times, "household" and "door" is different, the ancients believe that the household and the door in the use of the region: the room for the household, the house for the door. Therefore, there is no direct connection between the door hairpin and the household, because it can be "room and household", but also for the "house door" connecting components. While holding the drum stone can only be located on both sides of the "house door", and can not be "room" of the door pillow stone, that is to say, holding the drum stone than the door hairpin can show the identity and status of the owner of the house. Therefore, it is not credible to say that the stone is the "door dang" and the door hairpin is the "door pair", but it is just an echo of the idiom of "the door is the same as the door and the house is the right place".

Figure 12 The literal structural relationship between the door and the household

Let's revisit the literal meaning of the idiom "门当户对": "It refers to the fact that a man and a woman's families have comparable social and economic status, and it is appropriate for them to marry." [8] It also refers to the fact that a man and a woman's families have comparable social and economic status, and it is appropriate for them to marry. [8] That is to say, in the old society, when the families of the two parties to the marriage were of equal rank and status, it was called "door-to-door pair", so "door-to-door pair" has a layer of meaning that the family is equivalent. Extended, from the symbols: if it is a drum stone with a screw clam drum stone, round door hairpin with a hexagonal door hairpin, then it can be said that the couple "door to door". From this point of view, however, can be reflected, to determine whether the two families are well-matched, look at the respective door of the house to hold the drum stone and the door hairpin can explain the problem. Therefore, holding the drum stone and the door hairpin in Chinese folklore, "the door when the household is right", proving that the above two are indeed widely recognized by the folk family identity and status of the family symbols of the family.

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5, conclusion

Hugging the drum stone is a functional product of the Chinese house door components, it is based on the function of the decorative stone components, play a role in enclosing the door to strengthen the owner's might to support the role of the facade. China's outer wall of the house door is generally two, and the interior portal for a door, because the Chinese character door is composed of two households, two doors decided to hold the drum stone must be a symmetrical structure. Holding the drum stone is a symbol of the hierarchy of ritual architecture symbols, but also "either noble that is rich" of the family symbols, holding the drum stone is by no means detached from the political and economic basis behind its owner and independent existence. As Wu Liangyong said it "is not only a style, but rooted in the deep structure of life, is a reflection of the culture of residence." [9] holding the drum stone is not "door to door" when the door, but can be used as a marriage identity matching reference. It is a typical example of the inner world (culture) being displayed in the outer world (the present world) through the language of decorative symbols.

Immediately Sealed Marquis