Development of pillar cornerstone

Mr. Liang Sicheng, a famous archaeologist, believes that the natural pebbles unearthed from the ruins of houses in Yin and Shang Dynasties in Anyang are "the oldest cornerstone of China". The ruins of houses of Yin Shang in Anyang are only about 3000 years old. The development of column foundation has roughly gone through three stages: first, pebbles are laid under the column without exposure; The second is to let the cornerstone rise from the ground and become part of the appearance of the whole column, but there is no decoration; Third, install a column base on the cornerstone and carefully carve it around the cornerstone to play a decorative role. The main function of column foundation is to distribute the concentrated load of column on a large area of the ground; Secondly, the stone pillar foundation can be moisture-proof and higher than the ground, which can avoid the corrosion or damage of the column foot. Because the column base is close to people's sight, it often becomes a good place for artists to display their skills, so there are various shapes and sculptures that change with the change of dynasties, which has become a major category of traditional stone carving art of Han nationality. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the shape and sculpture of the column foundation were more abundant, and the production technology reached a high level. But it is more complicated and stylized, with less momentum and spirit. In addition to the above, there are many shapes, such as drum, bottle, animal, hexagonal hammer and so on. Eight Buddhist treasures (Falun, Diving, Baigai, Lotus, Pan Chang, Aquarius, Umbrella and Goldfish) with dragons, phoenixes and clouds as the motif, or flying cranes with lions as the main body, combined with religious decorative patterns; Folk Eight Treasures (Zhu Bao, Ancient Money, Jade Qing, Rhinoceros Horn, Coral, Ganoderma lucidum, Silver Ingot, Fangsheng); Eight treasures of Taoism (fish drum, Yu Di, sword, gourd, medicine basket, purple plate, plantain, lotus), flowers, birds, insects and fish, etc. In addition, there are hundreds of kinds of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, Kirin gifts, lion rolling hydrangea, the Monkey King borrowing a banana fan and so on. Carving techniques are good at combining high relief, shallow relief, through carving and round carving, and the decorative effect is comparable to realism, which unifies the decorative function and independent appreciation value, fully embodies the superb skills of craftsmen at that time, and also shows the sentiment and desire of the master.