literature and art
During the Warring States period, the culture and art of Chu made brilliant achievements.
Wang Yi's Notes on Chu Ci
Chu Ci is the representative of Chu culture.
Chu Ci, also known as Chu Ci, is a poetic style created by Qu Yuan, a great poet in the Warring States Period. The works use Chu's writing style and dialect rhyme to describe Chu's mountains and rivers and historical customs, which has strong local characteristics. In the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiang compiled Qu Yuan's works and Song Yu's works "Cheng Qu Fu" into a collection called Songs of the South. After The Book of Songs, it became a collection of poems with far-reaching influence on China literature. Qu Yuan's Li Sao is a masterpiece of Chu Ci, so Chu Ci is also called "Sao" or "Sao Style".
music
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the music of Chu State was very developed. Chu set up a music official, who was in charge of music affairs. For example, Zhong Yi, Duke of Chu Yun, inherited the position of "actor" from generation to generation. Zhong Jian was appointed by King Zhao of Chu as a musician and a music official. Under the management of Yue Guan, the music level of Chu State is very high.
Chu has various musical instruments, including bells, chimes, drums, harps, shovels, pens [bamboo/tiger], flutes and so on. These musical instruments have been verified in the physical objects unearthed from Chu tombs of the Warring States Period in Hubei, Hunan and Henan.
Chimes unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Houyi in Chu Tomb
In 2002, Jiuliandun tomb was excavated on a mound at the junction of Wudian Town and Xinglong Town, about 2 1 km southeast of Zaoyang City, Hubei Province. A large number of musical instruments were also unearthed in Tomb No.2, including two well-preserved lacquerware with string marks on it. In addition, there are bells, chimes, drums, sheng, cymbals, harps, harps, flutes and so on. Among them, reeds remain on the sheng and cymbals. Chord marks on lacquerware and reeds on land and sheng were discovered for the first time. These findings are of great help to the study of materials and techniques of ancient musical instruments.
Chu music also shows the characteristics of nationality and integration. Song Yuwen's Selected Works of the King of Chu contains: "There were singers in the middle of the Song Dynasty, and there were" Xialiba people ",and there were thousands of people who belonged to the middle and peace. It is called "Yang A Xielu", and there are hundreds of people who belong to it. This is "spring snow", and only a few dozen people belong to middle schools. China merchants carved feathers, and few people returned to China to make peace. It is its high music and rare harmony. "
Zhijiang Wanfu Nao Yongzhong
Xialiba people is a popular song in areas where Chu people and Ba people live together. When people sing, they are simply singing and dancing, and the scene is very lively. The rest of the songs, because of the greater difficulty, people can gradually reduce. This record truly reflects Chu, a country of music. In the development of music, foreigners are allowed to coexist with summer. From one aspect, it shows the open mind and spirit of Chu people's integration of foreigners and Xia people.
dance
The dance was accompanied by music. Witch dance has been popular in Chu since Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Wang Yi's "Chapters and Sentences of Chu Ci" said: "The South City of Chu is between Yuan and Xiang,
Its custom believes in ghosts and gods, and it is good at shrines, which will entertain the gods with songs and music as inspiration. Witchcraft dance is actually a religious dance, which has been very prosperous in Chu State. Qu Yuan's Nine Songs and other articles vividly reflect all aspects of witch dance.
Long song, Jingchu —— Cultural Relics Exhibition Unearthed from Chu Tomb in Jiuliandun.
The court music and dance in Chu is different from the folk music and dance, and the performance scene is much bigger and of course much more luxurious. For example, "Evocation" wrote: "The food is too shameful to pass, and women are happier. Chen Zhong made some new songs according to the drums. Pick diamonds in the river and carry forward the lotus. " "It is not surprising that it is beautiful by clothing fiber. Long hair and moustache are more gorgeous. " "I will go crazy, I will sing some drums. The court was shocked and the crowd was excited. " "Big move" wrote: "28 dances, poems and dances. Ringing the bell to tune will entertain people. "
In addition, due to the close cultural exchanges among countries, the court music and dance of Chu State have also been widely absorbed or introduced, which has become a major feature of the music and dance of Chu State. For example, Evocation wrote: "Let's be together, Zhao Zhengduo dances." "Wu (Yu Qian), play something big." "Zheng Wei demon play, come and play." "Big move" wrote: "Play for political prestige and sing Zhang Zhi." At the same time, music and dance performances in various countries have reached the point of "competing for flying around and changing their voices" ("big move").
Both folk witch dances and court music dances pay special attention to the beauty of lines and rhythms of dancers. For example, Evocation and the big moves mentioned in many places, such as "graceful posture", "long hair and moustache", "fleshy and tender", "graceful and elegant", "beautiful waist and thin neck", "waving long sleeves" and "meaty and skinny", show that Chu people are beautiful. 194 1 year, a painted figure was unearthed from the Chu Tomb of the Warring States Period in Huangtuling, Changsha, with a total of 1 1 dancers, two of whom danced with long sleeves and a thin waist, and the rest.
Eight people either sit still and take a nap, or watch. 1 people are holding sleeves and waving whips, as if in command. They all mop the floor in long clothes, with clear eyes and light posture. This lacquer bottle vividly shows the scene of the group dance of Chu State, which has high artistic value.
draw
Chu's paintings have developed rapidly and made outstanding achievements, mainly including silk paintings, murals and lacquer paintings.
"Dragon and Phoenix Figures Silk Painting" and "Yulong Figures Silk Painting" are the earliest silk paintings in ancient China and "two treasures of early paintings in China", with a length of 3 1cm and a width of 22.5 cm. In the picture, a woman stands sideways, with a high bun and a thin waist, a long skirt with wide sleeves, graceful and rich, and her hands crossed in prayer. On the woman's head, there is a phoenix painted on the left front to make her fly; Pterosaurs are painted on the reverse side of the phoenix, making it soar. The Dragon Silk Map is 37.5 cm long and 28 cm wide. In the painting, a man stands on the dragon's back, with a left facade, a high-crowned robe and a long sword at his waist. The dragon holds its head high and rolls its tail, just like a dragon boat. There is a carp under the left abdomen of the dragon, and a standing bird (like a crane) is painted on the tail of the dragon. There is also a heavy canopy painted on the man's head. People, dragons and fish all turn left, indicating the direction of progress, and even the tassels on the canopy are fluttering against the phoenix. The whole picture is moving and full of movement. These two silk paintings are basically sketched, but in some places, flat paintings are used, and the characters are slightly colored. The layout of the picture is accurate. The lines are smooth and the imagination is rich, which shows the unique style of Chu art. There are a large number of murals in Chu Xianwang Temple and Gongqing Temple. The main contents of murals are pictures of heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, gods, ancient sages and monsters. There are paintings on the diaphragm of tomb Tianxingguan 1 in Jiangling. There are also 1 1 painted murals with geometric patterns such as diamonds, Tian Zi and moire.
Lacquerware of Chu State
The lacquerware industry in Chu is developed, so Chu people are also good at painting on lacquerware, which has become a unique artistic treasure in ancient China. Such as painted lacquerware for chariots and horses unearthed in Huangtuling, Changsha in 194 1; 1952 Painted lacquerware unearthed in Yanjialing, Changsha; And in 1957, Xinyang. The picture of welcoming guests on the lacquer mound unearthed from the No.2 tomb in Baoshan, Jingmen, depicts many people and things. It is a wonderful work of Chu lacquer painting and occupies an important position in the history of ancient painting art in China. This lacquer painting, 87.4 cm long and 5.2 cm high, depicts 26 people, 4 carriages, 65,438+00 horses, 2 pigs and 65,438+. With black paint as the background color and four colors of red, yellow, brown and green, many people and things are combined into a colorful, harmonious, unique, lively and three-dimensional dynamic composite picture through the way of line Gou Ping painting.
incise
During the Warring States period, many representative works of Chu sculpture art, such as the magical flying phoenix in the tiger basin, the grotesque "beast in the tomb" sculpture, the light and elegant drum in the tiger basin phoenix, various forms of carved screens, realistic woodcarving deer, abstract woodcarving snake bottles to ward off evil spirits, lacquer boxes of various state images, etc., represent the achievements of Chu sculpture art and the application of Chu people. Bronze sculptures in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are generally accessories of various bronzes, such as ears and heads attached to animals or used as utensils.
Moire copper plaque unearthed from Chu tomb in Xichuan (Henan Museum)
Various animal image sculptures of feet; There are also supports, pedestals or accessories for large objects, such as bronze bell stands, tiger hooks, rock stands for animals and drum stands for dragons in the tomb of Zeng Houyi. However, there are few independent bronze sculptures such as "staghorn crane" from the tomb of Zeng Houyi. Most of these bronze sculptures are accessories or supports, bases and accessories of objects, which have relatively independent artistic appreciation value. It can be seen that designers consider their special functions as accessories and accessories, and notice that they are unified with the overall artistic style of utensils, but also regard them as an independent work of art. Therefore, these works often reflect the strong interest of Chu people in sculpture during the Warring States period.
custom
Chu people have respected phoenix and worshipped phoenix since ancient times.
If you have been to Yangchun Baixue Island on Mochow Lake in Zhongxiang,
It will certainly be attracted by the architectural layout full of Chu rhyme, such as the Baixue Building and Yangchuntai separated by a water, the Lantai Palace named after Shun Di's southern tour, the magnificent Chu Palace and the array of laughter and flowers. In the details of these scenic spots, the patterns of phoenix or the furnishings of phoenix birds can be seen everywhere: for example, the carved columns of Baixue Mansion and Chu Palace, the screen behind the seat of King Chu in Lantai Palace, the patterns on the gorgeous costumes of modern Mo Chounv played on the violin in Yangchuntai, and the doorman "Feather Bird Man" guarding Chu Palace walking on the phoenix in the clouds ... Chu people love phoenix as a mascot so much. What's the point?
In ancient legends, Phoenix is regarded as the king of birds and birds. The man is called "Feng" and the woman is called "Huang". Shuowen records: "Phoenix is also a divine bird, old saying: Phoenix is also like a rainbow in front and scales in the back, with snake neck, fish tail, stork throat, mandarin duck, dragon, fish back, swallow, chicken beak and five colors." In the Warring States Period, Xie Guanzi, a Chu man, also said: "Phoenix, quail firebird, essence of the sun." It depicts the basic characteristics of "Phoenix": birds are tall and horses are big, colorful, good at singing and dancing, auspicious and peaceful, and it is regarded as a clan totem.
Chu people's respect for the phoenix originated from their ancestors' primitive belief in worshipping the sun and respecting the phoenix, which has a history of more than 7000 years. Zhu Rong, the ancestor of Chu people, was Vulcan and Thor. In The Legend of the White Tiger in the Han Dynasty, Zhu Rong said, "He is a bird, but he is a phoenix." "Birds in the Yajiang River" Note: "Phoenix is also". It can be seen that Zhu Rong is also the embodiment of Phoenix. There are a large number of patterns of heads, snakes and birds in Chu cultural relics, which shows that the ancestors of Chu experienced the worship of birds in the image of human hearts, thus opening the origin of the legendary culture of China. Judging from the prominent characteristics of totem worship in the clan system, Feng is the ancestor of Chu people, and it is inevitable that he will be worshipped and respected by Chu people as a totem of his clan.
Phoenix is not only a divine bird, but also a symbol of Chu nationality and dignity. The influence of Chu people's worship of phoenix penetrated into all fields of life. For example, among the cultural relics of Chu State, there are countless images of phoenix, Xiu Xiang and statues, and the embroidery patterns on Chu people's clothes also take phoenix as the main content. In addition, there are "phoenix-bird series", "tiger stands phoenix drum" and "phoenix, dragon and tiger embroidered Luo Zen clothes". The phoenix paintings in Chu can be described as varied and strange.
Chu totem is also closely related to Chu Ci, Chu Music and Chu Dance. Chu people are good at singing and dancing. At this time, with the beat of wind music, God and man sang in harmony, and tribes wearing various totem masks danced with them. Harmony singing is a form of ballad; Animals dance with speed, which is a form of dance-totem dance, and the two are integrated into singing and dancing. Totem dance includes dragon totem and phoenix totem. To a large extent, this is a kind of religious worship. The primitive form of Chu song and dance, that is, the harmony song, is accompanied by the totem dance of the phoenix, such as the mysterious bird in Dance of Animals, which shows the dancers' worship of the phoenix.
The custom of worshipping phoenix of Chu people has been passed down to this day. 1992, a magnificent city emblem-Jinfeng Tengfei stands at the east gate of Jingzhou ancient city. The architectural structure of this city emblem is divided into three platforms, and the upper platform is surrounded by bluestone railings carved with various phoenix patterns. "golden phoenix Soaring" is divided into three parts: the upper part is a golden phoenix with wings spread, the middle part is a sun rising in Ran Ran, which looks like the mythical nine-toothed hot wheels, and the lower part is a rectangular pedestal decorated with Yun Leiwen. Taking Phoenix as the city emblem of a city in Jingchu shows that Phoenix is respected by the Chinese nation, "Chu is a nation that worships phoenix" and Phoenix is the totem of Chu people.