The Development History of Taotie Pattern
Gluttonous texture
Taotie is an imagined mysterious monster. This monster has no body, only a big head and a big mouth, and is very greedy. It eats whatever it sees, but due to eating too much, it is eventually stretched to death. It is a symbol of greed. He is the ninth son of the Ao Guang.
Taotie pattern first appeared on the jade wares of Liangzhu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River five thousand years ago. In the chapter of Lüshi Chunqiu Precedent Knowledge, it is said: "Zhou Ding is full of gluttonous food, but he has no body. If he eats people, it will hurt his body." The pattern of gluttonous food has been found on bronze wares in Erlitou and Xia culture. Centered on the bridge of the nose, symmetrically arranged on both sides, usually with the lower lip. Taotie patterns appear on bronze vessels, especially on cauldrons. There were many types of gluttonous patterns in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, some resembling dragons, tigers, cows, sheep, and deer; Some are like birds, phoenixes, and humans. The name of Taotie pattern does not exist in ancient times, but it was named by the Song people when Epigraphy rose. The most perfect Taotie pattern mask is 21.0 cm high and is now stored in the American Xiya Library. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, its mysterious color gradually declined.
Ancient Taotie Pattern Culture
Gluttonous patterns and religious culture
The Shang Dynasty elephant covered taotie patterned copper goblet: the vessel has a height of 17.7 centimeters and is composed of the vessel body, feet, and lid. The cover is adorned with gluttonous patterns, with fine cloud and thunder patterns as a background. The gluttonous decorative pattern on the abdomen of the object. Animal patterns have religious significance. During the Shang Dynasty, various types of cauldrons were adorned with gluttonous patterns, and cauldrons were the most common and mysterious vessels used by ancestors for worship, with strong religious significance.
The Taotie patterned copper you (Shang Dynasty) unearthed from the Lijiahe River in Pinggu, Beijing, measures 27 centimeters in height and 7.5 centimeters in diameter. It is adorned with a Taotie pattern on the abdomen and a continuous bead pattern on the top and bottom for sacrificial purposes.
Gluttonous patterns and wine culture
Shuowen ": revered as a utensil for offering sacrifices or entertaining guests. Tang Li Bai: "In the morning, you visit Zige Peak, and in the evening, you stay in the village at the foot of the mountain. The village elders see Yu Xi and open a statue for him." "Zun" refers to a wine container, which is equivalent to a modern wine pot. A bronze statue with a gluttonous pattern from the Shang Dynasty, unearthed in Qianshan County, Anhui Province in 1912, has been buried underground for more than 3000 years and still shines brightly with exquisite patterns., This statue is 21.5 centimeters tall, 19.4 centimeters in caliber, and weighs 2 kilograms. Shaped like a trumpet, with a high neck, bulging belly, and round feet, it is named after the gluttonous pattern on the jewelry. The gluttonous pattern symbolizes the face shape of a greedy and fierce beast in ancient legends. It was often used as a theme decoration on artifacts from the Shang Dynasty to the Western Zhou Dynasty, often lined with cloud and thunder patterns, and the patterns varied greatly.
Another example is the copper statue with a cow head and gluttonous pattern: Shang (1600 BC -1046 BC), with a height of 30.5 centimeters and a caliber of 28 centimeters. It was unearthed in 1982 at the Xiangyang Hui Food Factory in Zhengzhou and was used as a sacrificial tool for the ancestors. The Taotie patterned Jue was a drinking vessel that could only be used by the Five Marquis nobility in the Shang Dynasty. Jue was a drinking vessel with a "flow" in the front, a cup in the middle, a tail in the back, ears on one side, and three legs below. There was a column between the "flow" and the cup, which not only served as decoration, but also served as a bridge against the nose during drinking to prevent excessive drinking. Jue gradually disappeared after the early Western Zhou Dynasty.
Gluttonous patterns and architectural art
In ancient building materials, gluttonous patterns were also commonly used for decoration.
Half tile with taotie pattern: It is an ancient roof waterproof building component made by firing clay. In 1957, on the west bank of the Moat, about 700 meters south of Guang'anmen Bridge, half tiles with patterns were excavated, which were identified by archaeologists as the unique roof waterproof parts of the palace buildings of Yan State during the Warring States period. The gluttonous half tile pattern provides strong evidence for uncovering the long history and superb architectural art of Beijing's urban construction city. In 1972, at Hanjia Hutong in Xuanwu District, two half tiles with taotie patterns and two half tiles with animal faces from the Warring States period were also unearthed.
There are also Warring States period gluttonous tile designs: mostly semi-circular, with generous relief patterns, good farsightedness, and a clear overall sense of the block surface.
Taotie pattern and furniture decoration
The unearthed gluttonous cicada patterned Zu, made of bronze, has a narrow and long surface, with both ends raised and the middle slightly concave. The body is surrounded by cicada patterns, gluttonous patterns, and other patterns. We can see the shape and decoration of future table furniture from its shape.
Gluttonous patterns and music
Shang: Taotie patterned large cymbal, measuring 48.5 centimeters in height, is in the collection of Tianjin Museum. This type of single piece large copper rao can only be placed on a specially designed pedestal to play, known as Zhi Ming.
In ancient times, there were also Taotie patterned ancestors such as Yi Jue, incense burners, patterned Zen, patterned head coils, patterned straight inner Ge, patterned flower ladles, and so on. It can be seen that the gluttonous patterns are closely related to the lives of our ancestors, as well as the cultural life of our ancestors, fully reflecting the wisdom and creative ability of the ancient laboring people in China.
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