What was the Jade Deer in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period?

Deer are auspicious animals in the eyes of the ancients, and they have auspicious signs. "Furuizhi" contains: "The deer is a virtuous beast, and Wang Zhixiao is seen by the white deer. Wang Qing, interest. " Therefore, there are many deer patterns in ancient jade articles, and their shapes are varied and colorful. They are beautiful, vivid, elegant and lovely, either lying or standing, or running in the mountains and green fields, or strolling under trees in the forest. Especially after the Tang and Song Dynasties, the ancients used the homophony of deer and land to symbolize that they were always there and their careers were prosperous, and they were widely used. With the change of dynasties, the constant change of people's aesthetic consciousness and the progress and improvement of jade carving technology, the deer image on jade carving is becoming more and more plump and perfect, and the connotation of the picture is also richer, which fully expresses people's yearning for beauty and auspiciousness. The discussion and study of deer veins in past dynasties not only helps us understand the development and evolution of deer veins, but also provides a basis for the identification and dating of ancient jade.

Deer patterns first appeared on jade articles in Shang dynasty, and later generations developed and changed repeatedly, each with its own characteristics of the times. Its colorful modeling, auspicious implication and wide application are not only decorative patterns deeply loved by China people, but also reflect people's pursuit and yearning for a better life. This paper briefly introduces the modeling characteristics and evolution of deer patterns in jade articles of past dynasties.

According to the current archaeological data, animal patterns in prehistoric jade articles are rare, and only in Hongshan Culture and Liangzhu culture are some simple animal images, such as turtles and fish. It was not until the late Shang Dynasty that the animal shapes on jade articles were gradually enriched. Although the image is simple and simple, the lines are simple and vivid, which reflects that the jade carving technology at that time has been able to carve complex animal images on hard jade.

Modeling is an important feature of deer pattern on jade articles in Shang Dynasty. Jade deer in this period are simple in shape, mostly flaky, with few round carvings. The largest is about 8 cm, usually 3 ~ 4 cm, and often short legs stand upright and look back. Jade carving craftsmen deliberately highlight antlers, ears and eyes, while other parts pass by, only by their shape. For example, there are mainly the following kinds of antlers: one has no horns, the other is a trident horn, and the other is a bisector of two horns, which is symmetrical or asymmetrical. Eyes can be divided into small round eyes, official words, diamond eyes, olive eyes and so on. And most of them are depicted with negative lines. There are no decorative patterns on the body, and some only have a few carved lines as dividing lines to separate the body from the limbs. Perforations are mostly in the neck and buttocks, which can be worn. 199 1 Jade Deer unearthed from Shang Dynasty Tomb in Zhang Qian, tengxian, Shandong Province, is 5.4 cm high, 4.3 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick. The two sides are carved flat, the patterns are the same, and the two corner branches are prominent, which makes it look back, with round eyes, clear jaws, nose and mouth, vortex lines between the necks, small round hips, slightly curved hind legs and perforated necks, which is both realistic and exaggerated.

Jade deer in the Zhou Dynasty are mostly flaky, with no grain and only a few simple outlines, which are generally slightly larger than those in the Shang Dynasty. There are various shapes such as looking back, looking forward, lying down and standing. , with lofty spirit, beautiful posture, refreshing blade, delicate polishing. Deer have big ears and big eyes, and the branches on the horns stand upright on their heads like small trees. There are two kinds of symmetry and asymmetry, among which there are relatively many asymmetric long angles. Feet are thick and hoofed, mostly half-hoofed, and the whole body looks fatter. But compared with the long horns of a tree, its body often feels top-heavy. Perforations are also mostly in the neck and buttocks. 1974, two jade deer were unearthed in Rujiazhuang, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. They look forward and backward with their heads held high. Both of them are simple in decoration, lifelike in shape and lifelike. At the same time, there were many jade deer in the Zhou Dynasty, and their surfaces were very smooth, like mercury, which was called "Shuiyinguang".

The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are the peak of the development of ancient jade articles in China. Jade carving art is brilliant, and hollowing and relief techniques have been widely used. At that time, group jade products with political, moral and superstitious colors were very popular, called group jade, and jade bi, jade ring, jade ring, jade ring and Guan Yu all became part of group jade. It is precisely because of the saying that "a gentleman is better than jade" that Yupei was particularly developed at that time. A large number of Yu Pei in the shape of dragons, phoenixes and tigers can best reflect the spirit of the times, with S-shape, dynamic beauty and strong Chinese style and national characteristics.

Jade in the Spring and Autumn Period is the continuation and development of jade in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The unique double-yinxian craft and the decorative technique of "tangible in shape" are extremely popular in jade articles in the early Spring and Autumn Period, which can be described as a major feature of jade articles in the early Spring and Autumn Period. Compared with the Spring and Autumn Period, the jade articles in the Warring States Period are more abundant, breaking through the small pieces of decorative jade and buried jade in the Spring and Autumn Period, including large jade sulfur, jade walls, dragon ornaments and hooks. The craft is also more refined and exquisite, and it is famous for its empty buildings, bas-relief techniques, ingenious ideas and unique shapes. Decorations are more varied, including not only geometric patterns such as valley patterns and moire patterns, but also snail glass patterns, mosaic patterns and patterns depicting natural life. At the same time, the animal models in the jade works of the Warring States period are full of a tense momentum, which greatly enhances the internal spiritual rhythm and fully shows the Lingyun spirit of the warring States governors. Among them, the multi-section dragon and phoenix patterns unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Houyi, which attracted worldwide attention, are rare artistic treasures among jade articles in the early Warring States period. It can be said that the fineness of jade craft in the Warring States Period reached an unprecedented peak in the history of jade in China.

Jade deer in the Warring States period can be divided into two types: vertical and kneeling, among which there are many vertical ones, and their shapes are simple and realistic. Compared with the Western Zhou Jade Deer, it has the following characteristics: 65,438+0, single angle is more common, with a larger single angle, which bends to the hip after branching, and the angular branches are thicker than those in the Western Zhou Dynasty. 2. The foot structure is obvious, especially the toes are similar to the hooves. 3. The most representative eye shape is the round eye on the tip of the eye, which is carved by oblique digging and grinding. This method makes the eyes protrude and look very beautiful, which is a typical feature unique to the Warring States period. 4, the neck is slender, and the yinxian is short and thin, which is often used to indicate that the hair is slender. The fuselage is slightly thinner than the previous generation and looks slender and slim. There are small circle lines on the car body, and the decoration is more enjoyable than the previous generation. In the late Warring States period, a new shape appeared-running deer, which was a turning point in the evolution of deer patterns. This deliberately beautified image of running deer is vivid, fresh and lively, which changed the rigid and stylized modeling of the previous generation and laid the foundation for the later jade deer decoration.

Jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period occupy an extremely important position in the development history of jade articles in China. It changed the primitive style of Shang and Zhou dynasties, created a large number of new artistic treasures with shapes, patterns and craft styles, and wrote a brilliant page for Chinese jade culture. However, for a long time, in the field of identification and research of ancient jade, people have always been used to collectively refer to the jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period as Spring and Autumn Period, and combine their artistic styles into the jade works in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In recent years, with the deepening of archaeological work and the continuous enrichment of new materials, we have a further understanding and understanding of jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Through careful observation and comparison, it is not difficult to find that there are some differences in craftsmanship and decoration during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

First, the spring and autumn jade:

According to archaeological data, jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period are the continuation and development of jade articles in the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the early days, it was good to depict patterns with double negative lines, but in terms of decoration, the carving of single or interwoven dragon patterns on certain shapes was further strengthened in the late Western Zhou Dynasty, so that many tiny and deformed dragon patterns often appeared in the main shape, with dense layout and little space. For example, the jade tiger unearthed from the tomb of Mr. and Mrs. Huang in Guangshan County, Henan Province has a flat tiger shape, low back arch, bent limbs and curly tail. Although the tiger looks dull and has no strong sense of movement, the decoration on the tiger is particularly eye-catching. In addition to several geometric patterns on the abdomen, cheeks and limbs, it is covered with deformed dragon patterns, which are staggered up and down and echo left and right. This unique double-yinxian craft and decorative technique of "tangible in shape" are very popular in jade articles in the early Spring and Autumn Period, which can be described as a major feature of jade articles in the early Spring and Autumn Period.

After the mid-Spring and Autumn Period, this dense intaglio decorative line gradually became sparse, and it was mostly carved with a wider oblique knife. In the later period, the line carving technology gradually decreased and was replaced by the prevalence of bas-relief technology hidden underground. For example, the jade sulfide and jade unearthed from the tomb of Jinqing Zhao in Jinsheng Village, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province are not only exquisite in craftsmanship and exquisite in polishing, but also have a profound three-dimensional effect and a certain mystery due to the application of bas-relief techniques and abstract and simplified dragon patterns.

It is worth noting that this dense and abstract dragon decoration, which was popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and parasitic in modeling, gradually disappeared with the changes of people's aesthetic consciousness and cultural concept. As Mr. Wu Tanghai said in "Understanding Ancient Jade", the eyes with bold dragon patterns that prevailed from the end of the Spring and Autumn Period to the beginning of the Warring States Period degenerated into cloud valleys and gradually developed into neat geometric patterns such as valley patterns, pu patterns and chest nail patterns. We will not discuss here whether the moire and valley patterns common in jade articles in the Warring States Period evolved from the dragon patterns in the Spring and Autumn Period, but we can say for sure that the dense and tiny dragon patterns prevailing in jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period could not have appeared in the Warring States Period (especially after the middle of the Warring States Period). Although there are still similar jades unearthed in the tombs of the Warring States period, the author believes that they should be relics from the Spring and Autumn Period (or the early Warring States period). Because art is the reflection and abbreviation of social reality in a certain period, with the development of society and the change of people's aesthetic taste and consciousness, its style will certainly be innovated. In other words, different social fashions will inevitably produce different artistic styles. Jade is like this, so are other handicrafts.

Second, the Warring States jade:

Due to the social changes, the development of productive forces and the various moral and cultural connotations given to jade by Confucianism in the Warring States period, it was fashionable for princes and nobles to wear jade in the Warring States period. From the current archaeological data, it can be seen that the jade articles in the Warring States period are richer than those in the Spring and Autumn Period, which broke through the decorative jade and buried jade that were mostly small pieces in the Spring and Autumn Period, and large-scale jade sulfur, jade walls, dragon ornaments and hooks appeared. The craft is more refined and exquisite, and it is famous for its empty buildings, bas-relief techniques, ingenious ideas and unique shapes. Decorations are more varied, including not only geometric patterns such as valley patterns and moire patterns, but also snail glass patterns, mosaic patterns and patterns depicting natural life. At the same time, the carving of the god beast in the jade works of the Warring States period is full of a tense momentum, which greatly enhances the internal spiritual rhythm and fully shows the Lingyun spirit of the warring States governors eager for hegemony.

In the early Warring States period, jade articles were represented by those unearthed from the ancient city of Lu in Shandong and the tomb of Zeng Houyi in Hubei. Its craft is more complicated than before, the shape is gradually stretched, and the body angles are sharp and tidy, especially the image of dragons and phoenixes looking back and holding their chests has begun to show a certain sense of movement. Decorative patterns are mostly dense hidden valleys and cirrus clouds. Some valley lines are also marked with negative lines around them, even connected together. At this time, the bas-relief jade is not completely separated from the ground, but mostly polished along the pattern, thus producing an artistic effect that is hidden and hidden. Among them, the multi-section dragon and phoenix patterns unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Houyi, which attracted worldwide attention, are rare artistic treasures among jade articles in the early Warring States period. The jade material is exquisite, with a total length of 48 cm. It is made of five jade materials. The surface of the device is carved with dragons, phoenixes and glass. , and decorated with geometric patterns. At the same time, it integrates intaglio carving, relief, hollowing out, tenoning and polishing in one device, which is complex and extremely difficult, and reflects the high level of jade management in the early Warring States period.

In the middle and late Warring States period, jade crafts developed continuously, showing a brilliant scene. At this time, the choice of jade materials is more strict, and the supply of white Hetian jade is more than before. The jade processing technology is more mature, and because Pu Jin used metal tools, the jade in the Warring States period was more neat, angular, sharp and not sloppy than in the early days. Whether it is bas-relief, general carving or yinxian carving, it is finely crafted. In particular, the dragon and phoenix shapes, with their mouths open, their heads held high and their bodies twisted greatly, clearly show a vigorous and courageous momentum and strength. For example, our common hollowed-out dragon ornaments, carved jade walls, and various Yu Pei, with their delicate texture, novel modeling design, meticulous carving, ingenious hollowing-out, energetic lines and full luster, all make people applaud and marvel. It can be said that the fineness of jade craft in the Warring States Period reached an unprecedented peak in the history of jade in China.

Third, the difference between jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period:

Jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period have made continuous progress in the development and changes of more than 500 years, showing different artistic styles. Of course, this artistic style will never be completely separated with the division of historical years. For example, jade articles in the early Warring States period still have the style of jade articles in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and even some works are very similar and difficult to distinguish. But once the new artistic style and aesthetic fashion are stabilized, there will be a trend and trend in the whole artistic creation. The artistic features created by this trend and trend are the most basic things we must master in appraisal. Let's try to talk about the differences between jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period from three aspects.

1, Technology: In terms of production technology, jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period are round in shape, round in lines and finely polished. Jade articles in the Warring States period have sharp edges and clear lines. At the same time, the use of hollow-out techniques is more common than in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the skills are particularly exquisite and meticulous. Even the inner wall outside the building is polished brightly and carefully.

2. Decoration: Jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period make good use of many abstract deformation and dismemberment dragons to fill the picture of objects, making it impenetrable. At first glance, it seems to have a specious fuzzy feeling. The decorative patterns of jade articles in the Warring States period are sparse, such as valley patterns, moire patterns, cross-linked moire patterns, "S" patterns, twisted silk patterns and so on. The lines are smooth, the craftsmanship is exquisite, and the main lines and ground lines are clearly visible, which is pleasing to the eye after viewing.

3. Charm: To identify ancient jade articles, we should not only master their characteristics of the times, techniques and decorative techniques, but also carefully understand their inner charm. Generally speaking, jade articles in the Spring and Autumn Period are not as arrogant, calm and plain as those in the Warring States Period in terms of modeling, composition and dynamic changes. The jade articles in the Warring States period were properly designed in terms of surface, corners and layout, and were full of strong sense of movement and vitality. This vigorous momentum and artistic vitality are actually the spirit of the Warring States, which is caused by the temperament, thought and culture of the Warring States people.