The Metaphysical Symbolism of the Chinese Tortoise
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This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The metaphysical symbolism of the chinese tortoise Chong, Alan Wei Lun 2018 Chong, A. W. L. (2018). The metaphysical symbolism of the chinese tortoise. Master's thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73204 https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/73204 Downloaded on 10 Oct 2021 09:40:57 SGT THE METAPHYSICAL SYMBOLISM OF THE CHINESE TORTOISE THE METAPHYSICAL SYMBOLISM THE METAPHYSICAL OF THE CHINESE TORTOISE CHONG WEI LUN ALAN CHONG WEI LUN, ALAN CHONG WEI LUN, SCHOOL OF ART, DESIGN AND MEDIA 2018 A thesis submitted to the Nanyang Technological University in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts (Research) Acknowledgements Foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media for believing in me and granting me the scholarship for my Masters research. I would like to thank my thesis supervisor Dr. Nanci Takeyama of the School of Art, Design and Media, College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University. The door to Prof. Takeyama office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. Her valuable advice and exceeding patience has steered me in the right the direction whenever she thought I needed it. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Sujatha Meegama of the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University for advising in my report, and I am gratefully indebted to her for her valuable input for my research process. I would also like to thank Hong Bee Kuen, manager of the Graduate Programmes for being responsive and helpful in all my queries regarding the programme. I would also like to extend my special gratitude to I would like to thank René Guénon and all of the scholars on whose work I was able to draw my methods on. Lastly I want express my very profound gratitude to my family for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you. Table of Content Introduction ........................................................................................... 5 The importance of metaphysical symbolism ..................................... 16 The significance of the tortoise in Chinese culture and tradition ..... 19 Thesis structure ..................................................................................... 22 Review of literature ............................................................................... 26 Methodology and research question .................................................... 29 Objective ................................................................................................ 31 Pangu and the primordial origin ......................................................... 33 Between the square and compass: the myth of Fuxi and Nüwa ....... 51 Myth of the Luoshu tortoise diagram .................................................. 61 Inner cosmos: Taoist inner alchemy ................................................... 68 Shape of the tortoise and the cosmos ................................................... 79 Heaven and Earth: bird and tortoise .................................................. 94 Yinyang and the black tortoise ............................................................ 104 Temporal time and space ..................................................................... 122 Bronze mirrors ...................................................................................... 132 Feng Shui practice ................................................................................. 141 Tortoise symbolism in Singapore ........................................................ 147 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 159 Table of figures ...................................................................................... 161 Bibliography .......................................................................................... 167 Summary The objective of the thesis is two-fold: 1) to examine the metaphysical symbolism of the Chinese tortoise and establish the visual grammar of the tortoise symbolism. As the topic will be approached in a visual communication point of view, infographics such as diagrams will be illustrated to demonstrate how Chinese cosmogony and cosmology are reflected on the metaphysical symbolism of the tortoise. 2) To investigate the myriad layers of meanings embedded within the tortoise symbol. By doing so, we will attempt to foreground any obscured meanings and at the same time, enhance and deepen our understanding towards both the tortoise symbol and the methodology of analysis and answer the question towards the meaning of the entwined form of the tortoise and snake symbolism. The established scholars of Chinese philosophies such as Wing Tsit Chan and Feng Youlan tackle the discourse and tenets of Chinese philosophy, ethics and metaphysics, yet there remains a missing link of transition from the written to visuals. On the other hand, the Research Institute of Asian Design The Research Institute of Asian Design aims to rediscover vital formative arts in Asia, where rich and traditional cultures, which are different from Western culture, are still rooted in daily life, and to establish “Asian Design” based on its unique usage. Through research on such projects as “Asian headgear,” “Asian plants and trees,” “Asian spirals” as well as the already launched study on “Asian floats,” we will reaffirm the values and meaning of the vast number of formative arts embraced by Asian cultures to use them in modern art. Hence, the paper attempts to synthesize these classical thoughts with the modern above-mentioned methodology to demonstrate how visual language can be scaled to apply visually to a macrocosmic and to a microcosmic view at the same time. This demonstrates the flexibility and attempts to apply the vernacular of Chinese metaphysical tenets to contextual application. The paper analyzes the typologies of the tortoise in the Chinese cosmogonic myths and at the same time, introduce the Chinese cosmology namely their model of the cosmos, which includes the Yinyang thought, and the five elements theory to demonstrate the above-mentioned rationale. To further substantiate the research and expand the lateral scope, the paper will draw on different viewpoints and methodologies of scholars such as René Guénon and Mircea Eliade specializing in traditional symbolism and their macrocosmic view on symbolisms to aid in connecting these seemingly unrelated concepts from text to image. Hence, the images of the tortoise and the structure of the whole thesis will be classified into ‘typologies’ to reflect the cosmogonic pattern to further demonstrate this progression. From the undifferentiated ‘One’ or the primordial chaos, we will be introduced to the beginning of the universe as told in myths involving the tortoise. The next part of the process is the differentiating, which brings us to the ‘Two’ complementary force of Yin and Yang, namely Heaven and Earth and their symbolic shapes reflected on the form of the tortoise as well as the tortoise entwined with snake (black tortoise). The next part is the ‘Five’ elements generated by the interaction of the two which we will cover the black tortoise along with the three other important cardinal creatures in bronze mirrors, Feng Shui and select material cultures containing the four cardinal creatures. Finally, we will conclude with our immediate experiences of the tortoise in Singapore and in the contemporary under the ‘ten thousand things’ as it is considered the final stage of the cosmogonic process and where we are currently situated. Introduction “Restoring symbol to its status as an instrument of knowledge, our world is only returning to a point of view that was general…” – Eliade, M. (1961). Images and Symbols: Studies in Religious Symbolism This thesis will study the metaphysical symbol of the tortoise in Chinese culture to reveal hidden meanings embedded within. Many literature, art history, Chinese philosophy, and symbolism studies describe the tortoise symbol in a textual fashion.1 This textual approach has its merits but also has its limitations. One merit is that it provides a source of literature and material for this study to build upon, but on the other hand, this textual approach lacks consolidated imageries that allow the analysis and to see beyond how the tortoise symbol correlates with its literary counterparts. Therefore, the thesis aims to consolidate past knowledge and to connect it with existing knowledge from visual media, allowing us to reaffirm the meaning and position the tortoise holds. Hence, the thesis will investigate the meaning of the tortoise symbol in the context of Chinese culture and deduce its usage from its appearance in various art forms and material culture. The tortoise’s form is believed to be the embodiment of natural phenomena, mysterious forces, or supernatural power that impact human life and the universe. It holds great significance in many ancient cultures of the world as well as in the fields of cosmology, myth, rites, rituals, and medicine. More often than not, it is perceived as an object of support, the foundation