The main achievements of pottery sculpture art in Qin and Han dynasties are shown in pottery figurines, which can be roughly divided into three types: one is terracotta warriors, the other is handmaiden geisha figurines, and the third is animal figurines. The number, scale, momentum and verisimilitude of Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Qinling Mountain are unparalleled. The terracotta warriors and horses in Han Dynasty are represented by the pottery terracotta warriors and horses unearthed in Yangjiawan, Xianyang and Lion Mountain, Xuzhou. Judging from the overall layout, headdress and costumes of the figurines, there is a certain connection between the Qin figurines and the Han figurines, but there are also considerable differences. Terracotta warriors and horses attach importance to realism, and the size of the terracotta warriors and horses is modeled after real horses. The average height of the Terracotta Warriors is 1. 8 meters, chariots and weapons are mostly practical devices, winning with realistic image and strong spirit; Han figurines are very small, less than half a meter, and most of them are symbolic weapons, and the chariots have disappeared. In terms of individual size and fine production, Han figurines are not as good as Qin figurines, but they are still magnificent and imposing.
The shape is concise and refined, vivid and natural, and the characters and horses are more dynamic, with some new features.
Handmaiden and geisha figurines in Han Dynasty are the most artistic. Most of the figurines in the early Han Dynasty imitated the wooden figurines of the Warring States period, with flat bodies and straight hands. The bottoms are trumpet-shaped, painted and simple in shape. In the later period, the production of Han figurines changed from molding to kneading, and the shape changed from flat to more reasonable. They can stand upright with their feet and watch from all directions. Their facial expressions are very skillfully matched with the posture and movements of the whole body, resulting in a large number of works of high artistic quality. The facial expressions of Han figurines are very vivid, which can be roughly divided into two kinds of works due to the influence of region and production organization: one is the works of Chang 'an and Luoyang, the capital of Han Dynasty, and the works of the areas affected by their spread. For example, the pottery handmaid figurines unearthed from the tomb next to Wendi Liu Heng's tomb in Anbaling, Xi 'an, the colorful dancing figurines unearthed from the Western Han Tomb in Baijiakou, the acrobatic figurines unearthed in Shaogou, Luoyang, the musical and dancing acrobatic pottery figurines unearthed from Wuying Han Tomb in Jinan, and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Han Dynasty generally belong to this type.
Most of them were made by Dong Yuanding of the East Garden Department, a government-run workshop at that time. They are molded, kneaded and carved. Most of them are male and female servants, soldiers and some acrobats who serve the tomb owner.
Because it is a government-run workshop, bound by the feudal hierarchical concept, the characters produced are mostly respectful, respectful, quiet, serious, lacking in change, and even give people a dull and stagnant feeling. The other is the works of Bashu area in Han Dynasty. A large number of red pottery song and dance figurines and storytelling figurines have been unearthed in Sichuan, mostly from private workshops. The shapes of figurines are eclectic, and folk artists can play freely. Their style is simple, powerful and vivid, and they are full of the flavor of life, among which the drums of excellent characters telling stories are the most vivid.
The third kind of Han figurines are pottery animals. Important works include the glazed pottery dogs and horses of the Western Han Dynasty unearthed in Maweipo, Xingping, Shaanxi, the glazed pottery dogs of the Eastern Han Dynasty unearthed in Gaotang, Shandong, the glazed pottery birds of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Baiquan District, Huixian, Henan, the glazed pottery horses of Shaogou, Luoyang, etc. Among them, the pottery animals unearthed in various places often have local characteristics, such as the pottery animals unearthed in Huixian, which are quite realistic, while the glazed pottery dogs unearthed in Gaotang, Shandong and the glazed pottery pigs unearthed in the founding of Hebei are exaggerated. Sichuan pottery animals have simple and diverse styles and are not familiar with the past. For example, Tao Ma, unlike the common Han Ma, is often portrayed as a pony with a lively and naughty childlike innocence, which is very unique. Ma Tao in Tianhui Mountain in Chengdu and Ma Tao in Banzhu Bay in Leshan all belong to this category, while other pottery animals such as dogs, sheep and chickens are rich and simple.
In addition, there are some other contents in the pottery sculpture works, such as the pottery waterside pavilion in the tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Xichuan County, Henan Province, which consists of pools, pavilions and statues of their owners, waiters and animals, and reproduces the typical life scenes of the dignitaries in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The pottery paddy field model unearthed in Shiwei, Foshan, Guangdong, the pottery rice bowl and windmill unearthed in Jiyuan, Shandong, and the painted pottery architecture in Mixian, Henan, all reflect all aspects of the manor economy in the Eastern Han Dynasty in an extremely rich and comprehensive way.
The following are some outstanding works of pottery and plastic arts in Qin and Han Dynasties.
Since 1974, three large terracotta warriors and horses pits have been excavated in the east of Qin Shihuang Mausoleum 1000 meters in Lintong County, Shaanxi Province, and about 8,000 pottery chariots and horses and 10000 practical weapons have been buried. The total area of the three slave burial pits is 20,000 square meters, of which rectangular pit No.1 is the largest, with a total area of 13000 square meters. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses, as tall as real horses, are buried neatly and orderly. According to the density, the total number of people is 6000, which is the main force composed of chariots and infantry. The second pit is about 6000 square meters, and it is estimated that there are 1500 figurines. This is a mixed force composed of crossbowmen, chariots and cavalry. Pit No.3 is the smallest, about 5,000 square meters, with 69 terracotta warriors, chariots, horses, charioteers and warriors, as well as the military headquarters of Pit No.1 and Pit No.2, thus forming a unified, complete and magnificent military formation, which is a true portrayal of the guards in the Qin Dynasty. In the overall design, it not only shoulders the symbolic function of guarding the cemetery, but also completes the historical achievement of unifying China for Qin Shihuang.
First of all, the terracotta warriors and horses in the Qin Mausoleum are shocking with their overall majestic momentum. The terracotta warriors and horses in pits No.1 and No.2 basically face east. At the front of the huge military array are three rows of troops advancing horizontally. Three captains are wearing armor, and the rest of the soldiers are wearing helmets and short brown, and their legs are tied. It depicts the characteristics of the vanguard troops traveling lightly and the spirit of quickly destroying the enemy. The powerful following force is the main force of the chariot surrounded by 38 columns and thousands of armored figurines. Soldiers with high morale, armed with knives, spears, halberds and other weapons, surrounded the chariots, and the horses pulling the carts, in groups of four, held their heads high, showing the growth of the main lineup. Guards were placed on the left and right sides of the army to guard against the enemy's sudden attack. Soldiers and numbers are in 1. Up and down 8 meters, the horse is as big as a real horse. This magnificent army array, which is tall, neat and well-organized, is full of pre-war tension and majestic momentum, and truly reproduces the power of Qin Jun sweeping the six countries. Secondly, the individual image of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in the Qin Mausoleum is also very successful. The number and scale of these pottery terracotta warriors and horses are unprecedented. The production method is to use plastic and mold, make it in sections, put it into a rough tire, carefully carve it with fine mud, and then color it after firing in a kiln. According to their postures, costumes, equipment and positions, pottery figurines are divided into different arms and departments, including general figurines wearing double-rolled-tail long crowns, battle robes and scales, general figurines holding swords, military attache figurines wearing single-rolled-tail long crowns, armor or breastplates as commanders, knight figurines standing beside horses in round sleeves, narrow sleeves and waist-length armor, and warrior figurines in various costumes. When portraying characters, craftsmen vividly, accurately and meticulously show the characteristics of the object with a simple and realistic attitude, and carefully create portraits of warriors with different faces and personalities without using any exaggerated or distorted artistic techniques. Careful observation, you will find that many soldiers do not have exactly the same image, but * * * has the appearance characteristics of people in Qinchuan area. The different hairstyles, beards, clothes and appearances of Qin figurines fully reflect the artistic imagination and creativity of craftsmen. Take the three figurines standing upright before the No.1 pit horse crossed the second hole as an example. A face, Fiona Fang, slightly old, with closed lips, wide eyes and staring ahead, is a battle-hardened, calm and brave soldier image; A lanky face, bowed his head in meditation, is a resourceful and resourceful person; A young man, full of vigor and bright smile, shows that this young soldier is full of confidence in victory and has a lively and cheerful personality. Compared with the childish figure sculptures in the Warring States period, it is really surprising that the Qin Dynasty created such vivid and lifelike large-scale figure colored sculptures in a short time. And the shaping of Ma Tao is equally amazing. The image of a horse is vigorous, straight, symmetrical and accurate in structure. In modeling, it focuses on depicting the characteristics of war horses, such as holding their heads high and raising their tails, or screaming with their mouths open, hunching their ears, stretching their nostrils and focusing their eyes, giving people a feeling of jumping and eager to gallop on the battlefield, which embodies a magnificent and healthy spirit. The pottery horse in the Qinling Mountains is the real beginning of the ancient horse sculpture art in China. Third, although the overall conception of Qin figurines is based on the spirit of actual combat, it does not directly describe the battle scene, but chooses the scene before the battle. The postures of Tao Bing and Ma Tao are mostly static, and the repetition of many upright static bodies constitutes a huge solemn and silent scene.
This is a kind of silence before the storm. In this terrible silence, there is a great force that is about to erupt, giving people an overwhelming momentum. However, a few figurines, such as vertical shooting figurines and kneeling figurines, take a dynamic performance. The general buckled his left arm with his right hand, and the strength of his wrist was very clear. There are charioteers holding chariots and leaping horses in front of their arms, which enhance the inner vitality of characters and horses and break the great silence to some extent. The beauty of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum lies in moving in silence and seeking change in unity.
(1) Briefing No.1 on Trial Excavation of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit in Lintong County, cultural relic number1975+01; Brief report on the cleaning of Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit No.3 on the east side of Qin Shihuang Mausoleum, cultural relic number 1979, 12.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Yangjiawan, Xianyang ①: 1965 were found in the Han Tomb Pit in Yangjiawan, Xianyang, Shaanxi, and were works of the early Western Han Dynasty. There are 583 pieces of cavalry figurines, more than 800 pieces of infantry figurines 1000, and more than 2,548 pieces of civil servants, musicians, dancers and handyman figurines1000, which is the largest number of pottery figurines unearthed from Han tombs. Riding figures are arranged in battle formation. The height of cavalry figurines is 68 cm, and that of infantry figurines is 44- 48 cm. It reproduces the form of the military array in the early Han Dynasty, and is also realistic in art, and inherits the legacy of the Qin figurine pit, but the cavalry is the main part of the military array, and the chariots are no longer there. Individual figurines are smaller than those of the Qin Dynasty, which are not really practical weapons, but mostly symbolic weapons. In terms of modeling techniques, the figurines are large and lack of details and characterization, which is difficult to compare with the Qin figurines. The Han figurines in Yangjiawan, on the other hand, have wider faces, thicker lips and more beards, which are simple in description and powerful in expression, which is consistent with the strong characteristics of Qin figurines. The paintings of Yangjiawan figurines are well preserved, which is also very rare among Han figurines. The terracotta warriors and horses are all painted in five colors: red, white, black, green and yellow. Most of the vertical figurines are painted with nail plates, and cuffs, necklines, hats and boots are also painted. Ma Tao's image is cocky, with a big chest, a wide forehead and a short waist. Especially tall and straight, majestic, majestic, showing the strength of the national strength in the early Han Dynasty.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xuzhou Lion Mountain ①: 1984 were found at the west foot of Lion Mountain in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. Four terracotta warriors and horses pits have been found, and more than 2,300 terracotta warriors and horses have been unearthed, all of which are exquisite in texture and belong to works in the middle or early Western Han Dynasty. This is another major discovery after the Han Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Yangjiawan, Xianyang and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Lintong, Xi. Take pit one as an example. Terracotta warriors and horses are arranged in dense columns, all facing west. Vertical figurines are 47- 48 cm high, short figurines are 42- 43 cm high, and kneeling figurines are 25- 28 cm high. According to the instruments and postures, it is divided into terracotta warriors, armored figurines and kneeling figurines. Warrior figures are dressed in robes, armor figures are dressed in armor, and some are carrying arrow pots. The lion mountain pottery figurines have a wide face and a narrow face, and do not leave a beard, which has the characteristics of handsome Dongyi people. The foot soldiers are heavily armed, mostly symbolic weapons. They are solemn, full-faced and imposing, similar to ordinary pottery figurines in the early Western Han Dynasty. Most of the paintings on the pottery figurines in Lion Mountain have fallen off. From now on, there are several well-preserved pottery figurines that are similar to those in Yangjiawan. They are painted in red and white, mainly in red, which seems to be more concise and abstract, and at the same time pay more attention to the description of facial expressions. It is one of the important artistic treasures of the pottery terracotta warriors and horses in the Western Han Dynasty.
① A large number of painted pottery figurines of the Western Han Dynasty, Cultural Relics No.3, were unearthed in Yangjiawan, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province,1966; Excavation of the Han Tomb in Yangjiawan, Xianyang, with the cultural relic number 1977, 10.
① Brief report on the first excavation of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit in Shizishan, Xuzhou, with cultural relic number 1986 and number 12.
(2) Archaeology No.2 1976 Xi: Brief report on the excavation of Renjiapo Han Tomb; Random Talk on Ancient Sculptures in China, by Ren Rong, published by Shanghai Education Press.
Xi An Tao Cai Maid Figurines and Dancer Figurines ②: The former is represented by 42 pieces of pottery maid figurines unearthed in the tomb next to Liu Heng's tomb of Emperor Han of Xi, while the latter is the most outstanding one unearthed in Anbaijiakou, Xi. They are all products of the East Garden Department of the government-run organization, which are formed by molding and kneading, and most of the pleats are omitted, but the facial modeling is quite painstaking. The former painted pottery maid figurines stand in two postures, one is 53- 57 cm high, the other is wearing a long shovel and square shoes, and the other is half-raised, with fists and eyes facing each other, like holding objects, dignified and quiet, respectful and docile, with different faces, thoughtful and unpredictable expressions. The seated person is 33- 35 cm tall, kneeling with his hands open, his feet up and his hips close to his palm. One of the female figurines has a wide skirt, a plump face and a very quiet and dignified posture. She is an outstanding representative of female figurines in the Western Han Dynasty.
In addition, the maid figurine raised her hands half-way, lightly pointed her left hand, and tilted her head slightly to the right, as if playing the piano, with her modality focused.
Maid figurines are covered with white powder, and then painted with yellow, black and red on their faces, eyebrows and clothes. The combination of sculpture and painting strengthens the expressive force of sculpture, which has become the tradition of ancient painting art in China. This group of painted female figurines are gorgeous in clothes and dignified in posture, and are typical images of ladies-in-waiting. The dancer of the latter is dressed in a long-sleeved dress, with a slightly bent upper body and a slightly twisted waist. She walks lightly, her hands are high and her feet are low, and she dances with long sleeves. Her posture is extremely free and easy, and her details and expressions are slightly sketchy, but the author grasps the great momentum and focuses on the slow and elegant dance. This kind of expression technique, which pays attention to dynamic situation and mood, is one of the characteristics of Han figurines and an extremely wonderful masterpiece of Han figurines.
Acrobatic figurines of Wuyingshan in Jinan ①: 1969 Unearthed from the Han Tomb of Wuyingshan in Jinan, Shandong Province. In a place less than 67 cm long and 47 cm wide. On the 5 cm Tao Pan, 22 painted pottery figurines were created. Among them, 2 female geisha with long sleeves are good at dancing, 4 young male geisha performing acrobatics such as handstand, bending over and jujitsu, 8 people playing music, or blowing sheng, or fiddling, or ringing a bell with a stick, or beating a small drum or a big drum, and the rest are bystanders. This group of pottery figurines has an orderly layout and well-defined figures. In the arrangement of characters, the audience is placed at the center. On the contrary, the acrobat is the main image, and the audience is in a foil position. The figures are moving and static, and the static state of the audience sets off the dynamic activities of the acrobats, making people feel that the performers are more lively and beautiful. The disadvantage is that the facial expressions of the characters lack change and the description is not detailed.
A few drum book figurines in Sichuan: 1957 One unearthed from Tianhui Mountain in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, depicts a storyteller sitting there with a drum in his left hand and a pestle in his right, sitting topless, one barefoot raised, his head stretched out, his back hunched, his eyes wide open and his mouth open. It seems that he is talking about singing ecstasy and dancing uncontrollably. In addition, a piece unearthed in Yangzi Mountain, Chengdu, is very similar in posture to the former except that the foot does not become warped and the right hand does not extend. Another example is 1963 unearthed in Pixian County, which is also very distinctive, with a height of 66. 5 cm, upright, holding a drum in his left hand, a stick in his right hand, wearing a round hat, shrinking his neck and looking up, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue, swaggering, is also a vivid work full of life. These works fully reflect the artistic characteristics and achievements of the pottery figurines in Bashu area. The works are not confined to the conventional scale, but exaggerated, with big heads and small bodies, highlighting the dynamics and expressions of the characters. Their gestures and movements are varied, dynamic, flexible and natural, trying to show the most distinctive and touching instantaneous posture. Facial expressions and movements are closely related, and the smiles of the characters are rich, subtle and individual.
Pottery animals in Baiquan District, Huixian County, Henan Province: There are more than 10 pieces of pottery sheep, pigs and dogs found in the tombs of the late Eastern Han Dynasty in Baiquan District, Huixian County, Henan Province. The shape is very small, the largest is only 12 cm high, and the smallest is only 2 cm high. 2 centimeters. When the author shapes these animals, he often grasps their most modal moments, rather than static modeling.
For example, the shaping of Tao ewe is grasping it, barking, watching anxiously and listening attentively to the response of the lamb, which makes people feel the eagerness of the ewe to find the lamb and the touching love between mother and son. In contrast, a barking dog barks with its mouth open, but it is very different from a ewe calling her child. This is a kind of vigilance. Another little pottery dog (or fox) is also ready to come out. He walked forward with his head held high, his eyes fixed on his eyes, his ears pricked up, his tail cocked up, and he walked forward carefully, brilliantly depicting the puppy's unique vigilance and childishness. Taozhu is the most interesting pig shape. The author created a vivid and lovely pig, who was too wary because of ignorance.