Ancient Chinese Patterns

Name: Ancient Chinese Patterns
Author: Wang Xiansheng

中国上古纹饰

by Wang Xiansheng (王先胜)

Status: Completed
Length: 244k Words
Genre: Historical
Subgenre: Unknown
Updated: 3y ago
Source: Fanqie

Request a translation

Refreshed 1d ago

GPT-6 Luna

Report

Stats

17Chapters

129Reads

9.0Score

1Listens

27.5kReads · all time

Synopsis

This informative and exploratory book examines decorative motifs from ancient China, from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties through the Qin and Han. Its subjects include motifs on bronzes, pottery, jade, and lacquerware, as well as Han-dynasty pictorial carvings. It also discusses a handful of unusual vessel forms and archaeological sites, along with the origins of ancient motifs and their connections to prehistoric designs. The book aims to introduce ancient motifs in a relatively systematic way and offer focused interpretations, with an emphasis on methodology and continuity with prehistoric art. It tentatively reveals that basic knowledge of ancient astronomy, calendars, and the Book of Changes, together with their related ideas and religious beliefs, not only supplied the themes and principal content of ancient motifs, to which their designs were subordinated, but also formed a major source and component of ancient society's spiritual culture. These ideas were passed down through the intellectual foundations of the Hundred Schools of Thought, especially Confucianism, Daoism, the Book of Changes, yin-yang and the Five Elements, and the view of humanity as part of Heaven and Earth. The book explores the origins and meanings of such iconic images and cultural phenomena as dragons, the Taiji diagram, the Eight Trigrams, Bingfeng, taotie patterns, and cloud patterns. It is intended primarily for readers with at least an undergraduate education. It may serve as a textbook or teaching reference for relevant university courses, general education, or traditional culture studies, and may also be useful to researchers and enthusiasts.

More by this author

Ancient Chinese Designs and Motifs Wang Xiansheng

In booklists 12

Looking for Drawing Tutorials and Templates. I Tried, but My Art Got Even Worse 😭 People 💥 Heart

Please! Anything involving bodies, clothes, facial features, hair, fingers, animal ears, fur, beastfolk, and so on is fine! If anyone hasn't gotten a reply from me, please tag me. ლഇઉക facepalm...

274Books560.5kViews4hUpdated

The End of Novels Is Literature…

Looking for books similar to Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. A classic! A study! A literary work!

822Books2.8MViews17hUpdated

The Kind of Hard Science Nobody Can Understand

I want hard science, I want hard science. The main thing is for the protagonist to lead the whole world toward technological prosperity.

483Books3.1MViews1dUpdated

Looking for a Study Reading List for Original Character Creators

Looking for books like Jungian Psychology. Are there any books for OC inspiration or learning? I’m especially interested in Jungian psychology and personality typology, but feel free to recommend anything else too: religion, writing techniques, the occult, psychology, design, and so on.

549Books12MViews1dUpdated

I'll Say It: Tomato's Comics All Have Terrible Art. Disagree? Come Debate Me

467Books4.9MViews2dUpdated

Now This Is the Kind of Novel Chinese People Should Read

As fellow Chinese people, you'll feel your blood boil after reading this.

1.5kBooks64.3MViews2dUpdated

Hardcore Books That Actually Teach You Something

Looking for books like the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China. I want something hard-hitting and realistic, not abstract.

838Books1.3MViews8dUpdated

Any Reference Books or Resources for Designing All Kinds of Outfits for OCs?

Looking for books like 500 Dress Designs: Evening Gowns. Historical clothing, Lolita fashion, and so on are all fine. I only picked that as an example at random, and haven't really read it. I'm just looking for something about clothing, preferably a better and more practical resource.

266Books997kViews13dUpdated