What are the artistic characteristics of costumes in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period?

The costume pattern in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period evolved from the decorative pattern tradition in the slave society of Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The decorative patterns in Shang and Zhou Dynasties emphasized exaggeration and deformation, and the structure was based on the geometric framework, with the central axis as symmetry. The patterns were closely attached within the geometric framework, especially exaggerating the head, horn, eyes, nose, mouth and claws of animals. The outline lines, which are dominated by straight lines and supplemented by circular arcs, present a unified and severe aesthetics. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the disintegration of slavery and the active social thoughts, the style of decorative arts also changed from traditional closed to open, from deformation to realism, from linear theme to free curve theme, from static dignified to lively. In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the geometric bones and symmetry techniques of rectangles and triangles were still used in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but they were not limited by geometric bones and were often regarded as the basis of unified layout, rather than "functional bones". In other words, patterns can transcend the boundaries of geometric framework according to the creative intention and be handled flexibly. Taking the embroidery patterns unearthed from Chu Tomb of Mashan Brick Factory in Jiangling, Hubei Province and Martyrs Park in Changsha during the Warring States Period as examples, besides traditional themes such as dragons and phoenixes, animals and geometric patterns, realistic and deformed Hua Teng are all new themes with the characteristics of the times. Hua Teng interweaves vivid and romantic bird and beast patterns, and Hua Teng spreads and grows along the patterned bones, rectangular bones, rhombic bones and diagonal bones, playing the role of "non-functional bones" (that is, geometric bones that are not stiff and exposed). They are freely interspersed, some are repeated and continuous along the bone line, some are divided into patterns, some are symmetrical and continuous, some are symmetrical and continuous up and down, and some are shifted and symmetrical and continuous according to the staggered 1/2 position. Flowers, vines and vines have both decorative and skeletal functions. In the space where branches and vines crisscross, birds and animals are decorated. Animal patterns are usually realistic in the head, but simplified in the body. Some of them are directly integrated with vines, some are intertwined, some are realistically deformed, some are integrated with several animals, and some are natural plants. They combine animal and plant varieties with geometric bones in rich, beautiful and diverse forms, reflecting the high activity and maturity of clothing pattern design ideas in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Due to the flexible application of the alignment layout of geometric skeleton, the combination of juxtaposition symmetry and displacement symmetry, and the breaking of the boundary of geometric skeleton frame, the pattern not only has strict numerical order, but also has ingenious interspersed changes. Although the structure is very complex, with overlapping layers, it is still complex and not chaotic. In addition, geometric patterns are also very popular.

The theme of costume patterns in the Warring States period has certain symbolic significance. The most popular dragon and phoenix at that time not only symbolized the prosperity of the court, but also symbolized a happy marriage. Both cranes and deer symbolize longevity. The bird is a symbol of the queen's status, and the owl symbolizes the god of victory. The above themes are mostly used for embroidery. Due to the limitation of jacquard technology, silk weaving patterns in the Warring States period were mostly limited to diamond patterns, checkered patterns, complex diamond patterns and variant patterns filled with figures, chariots, horses and animals. Limited by space, this book can't cover all these exquisite patterns.