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A Study on the Auspicious Animal Motifs on Han Textiles in Ancient China

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A Study on the Auspicious Animal Motifs on Han Textiles in Ancient China A STUDY ON THE AUSPICIOUS ANIMAL MOTIFS ON HAN TEXTILES IN ANCIENT CHINA Zhang Wen 張文 Xu Chunzhong 徐純中 Wu Zhuo 吳焯 Qiu Yiping 邱夷平 hinese textiles have many animal motifs, found weft ones will be from 1/3 up to nearly all of of the C especially in combination with traditional Chi- cloth width (Zhao 2005, p. 132). There are many dif- nese cloud-designs. Such textiles were manufactured ferent kinds of animals in the designs on these textiles. during the period of the Han 漢代 and Northern Dy- To begin, we will classify in the table on the next page nasties (206 BCE – 589 CE), with many of the high- all the auspicious animals on the textiles by “species,” est quality examples produced in the Eastern Han the individual pieces often identifi ed by the inscrip- period, (25 – 220 CE). In earlier research, most schol- tions on them. ars thought motifs such as the winged monster origi- All the textiles in the list represent some of the fi n- nated in Chinese traditional culture: such auspicious est examples of world textile art. Most of them were 麒麟 天祿 animals have other names, e.g., qilin , tianlu , manufactured during the period from the Han to the 辟邪 bixie . Of interest though is the fact that similar Northern and Southern Dynasties. Such silk textiles depictions have been found in other places far away have been found in different sites, evidence for Silk from China — Central Asia, Western Asia, and even Road trade across Eurasia, from Korea in the east to in ancient Greece. The monster characterized by a England in the west (Lesnichenko 1998). Of particular wing and horn, which was called a griffi n, has fl own interest here are the textiles decorated with and hovered all over Eurasia. Some scholars have animal-and-cloud patterns which have been excavat- found that this phenomenon of the griffi n can pro- ed at Silk Road sites and which we have listed in the vide very important evidence about communication table below. Most of them were found in northwest- between East and West. Yet up to now, the winged ern China — Gansu Province and the Xinjiang-Uighur monster in Chinese tapestry has never been compared Autonomous Region. The combination of auspicious with the griffi n to determine what might be the simi- animals and inscriptions made them appropriate to 1 In this article then, we will ex- larities between them. commemorate the dead and ensure good fortune in plore the larger question of communication between the afterlife. East and West through the lens of depictions of this winged monster. In the period of the Han Dynasty, there are many depictions of monsters with wings and horns, often The manufacture in China of cloud-and-animal pat- in compositions with cloud patterns. It is possible tern textiles was very popular from 25 to 589 CE. From that some of these monsters are embodiments of the standpoint of style and weaving technology, such the Qiongqi 窮奇 or Xianyang 咸羊 described in the textiles have much in common, two features in par- “Classics of Mountains and Seas” (Shan hai jing 山海 ticular (Zhao 2005, p. 125). The fi rst is that, almost 經) (Zhou 2010, p. 142), an amazing book about the without exception, they are warp-faced compound geography and myths in ancient China.3 It seems likely tabby weave: “a warp-patterned weave made up of though that the ultimate source for one of the winged a surface warp and complementary ... inner warps ... monsters on the textiles is the creature with an eagle arranged in two or more series as well as one weft ... head and lion body known as a griffi n or griffon (Hop- The ground and pattern are thus formed simultane- kins 1960). Alternatively, some of the monsters on the ously, and the entire surface is covered by warp fl oats, textiles might be construed as winged carnivores or which hide the weft” (Kuhn 2012, p. 523). The other more specifi cally lions (without an eagle head) (Gold- feature is that the repeats along the weft direction will man 1960). The strange thing is that at the time these be much longer than in the warp direction. The warp textiles were made, there could have been no lions in repeats never extend more than 9 cm, whereas the Text continues on p. 106. The Silk Road 11 (2013): 100 – 112 100 Copyright © 2013 Zhang Wen, Xu Chunzhong, Wu Zhuo, and Qiu Yiping Copyright © 2013 The Silkroad Foundation Table 1. A selection of early Chinese silk textiles described by motifs of auspicious animals and inscription text. Classifi cation of auspicious Textile description Findspot2 Date animals ‘Changle Mingguang’長樂明光 Eastern Han winged (or ‘Changle da Mingguang’) Niya 尼雅, 漢代 carnivore with (Enduring Joy and Shining Minfeng 民豐 Dynasty two horns Brightness). Includes carnivores （25 – 220 CE） and horse with rider (Fig. 1.) ‘Yinian yishou changbao zisun’ 延年益壽長葆子孫 (May your Eastern Han years be extended and long life Niya Dynasty increased, and your sons and （25 – 220 CE） grandsons be long preserved.) (Fig. 2) Western and jin silk with animal motifs in zig- Palmyra, Eastern Han Dy- zag or diamond frame (Fig.3) Syria nasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) dragon, phoenix, tiger and bird Dunhuang Northern motif in an arched dragon frame 敦煌, dynasties (Fig. 4) Gansu 甘肅 (420 – 589 CE) ‘Deng gao ming wang sihai guifu shou wei guo qin’ 登高明望四海 貴富壽為國慶 (Ascending to a Yingpan, Yuli, Eastern Han winged lions height and looking clearly into the Xinjiang Dynasty without horn distance at the Four Seas, honors, 尉犁县营盘 （25 – 220 CE） wealth, and long life are what the state celebrates.), with animal and bird motif (Fig. 5) ‘Wuxing chu dongfang li Zhong- winged guo’ 五星出東方利中國(When the Western Jin 晉 composite beast Five Planets rise in the East, the Niya Dynasty with a single advantage will be to the Middle (265–317CE) horn Kingdom). Images include birds and a lion or carnivore. (Fig. 6) Zagunluk three-winged weft-faced silk with animal motif, 扎滾魯克, Western Jin Dy- composite beast attached to a cotton robe. Im- Qiemo, Xin- nasty with a single ages include carnivore/lion and jiang (265 – 317 CE) horn mounted archer. (Fig. 7) 且末, 新疆 “Wanshi ruyi, yannian yishou.” 萬事如意延年益壽 (May your composite beast Western Jin wishes be granted, and may your possibly with Niya Dynasty years be extended.) Cloud pattern horns (265 – 317 CE) with humans and animals that in- clude birds, deer and lions. (Fig. 8) 101 ‘En ze xia sui da shu 恩澤下歲大 Western Jin 孰’ (May favors be bestowed and winged deer Niya Dynasty the harvest be a good one.) (265 – 317 CE) (Fig. 9) ‘Wannian fengyi’ winged deer, Eastern Han 萬年豐益 (May every year for winged lions or Dynasty ten thousand years have a good tigers (25 – 220 CE） harvest.) (Fig. 10) winged pattern includes a wide range of composite birds, animals and fantastic Astana 阿斯塔 Northern Liang creature with creatures; found in tomb of 那 Cemetery, 北凉 Dynasty antlers and a Northern Liang royal heir Juqu Tomb 177, (397– 445 CE) possible bird Fendai (d. 455 CE). Turpan beak (Figs. 11a–c) ‘Han ren xiu wen yi you zisun wuji’ 韓仁繡文衣右子孫無極(This winged and Eastern Han was embroidered by Han Ren; Loulan horned Dynasty may you have sons and grand- 樓蘭 carnivores （25 – 220 CE） sons without limit.) (Fig. 12) Fig. 1. Jin silk inscribed “Changle da Mingguang” 長樂大明 光 (Enduring Joy, and Shining Brightness), excavated at Niya, Mingfeng, Xinjiang. 1:3 warp-faced compound tabby; warp count 176/cm; weft count 20/cm; pattern repeat in warp direction. After: Zhao and Yu 2000, p. 59, Fig. 21d. 102 Fig. 2. Detail of jin silk inscribed “Yannian yishou changbao zisun” 延年益壽長葆子孫 (May your years be extended and long Fig. 4. Warp-faced compound tabby with dragons, tigers phoenix- th th life increased, and your sons and grandsons be long preserved.). es and birds on arched dragon frame. 4 –5 century CE. Found in Excavated at Niya; found attached to cotton pants. 1:3 warp-faced Mogao Cave 17 at Dunhuang. After: Zhao 1999, p. 85. compound tabby; warp count 176/cm; weft count 24/cm; pattern repeat in warp direction) After: Zhao and Yu 2000, p. 32, Fig. 01. Fig. 5. Jin silk with animal and bird motif, inscribed “Deng gao ming wang sihai guifu shou wei guo qin” 登高明望四海貴富壽為 國慶 (Ascending to a height and looking clearly into the distance at the Four Seas, honors, wealth, and long life are what the state celebrates.). After: Chen 1984, ap- pendix 18. (For a detail, see Zhao 1999, p. 78, Fig. 2.03a.) Fig. 3. Jin silk with animal in a zig-zag frame, found at Palmyra. After: Zhao 1999, p. 70. 103 Fig. 6. Polychrome jin armguard, with inscription “Wuxing chu Fig. 8. Jin silk with cloud, animal and human motif, excavated dongfang li Zhongguo” 五星出東方利中國 (When the Five Plan- at Niya, inscribed “Wanshi ruyi, yannian yishou” 萬事如意延 ets rise in the East, the advantage will be to the Middle Kingdom 年益壽 (May your wishes be granted, and may your years be [China].), excavated in Tomb 8 at Niya, Mingfeng, Xinjiang. 1:4 extended.) After: Zhao 1999, p. 68 warp-faced compound tabby; warp count 220/cm; weft count 24/ cm; pattern repeat in warp direction. (See Kuhn 2012, p. 123; Zhao 1999, pp. 78-79). After: Zhao and Yu 2000, p. 63, Fig. 24f. Fig. 9. Poychrome jin fabric, with winged deer and inscription “En ze xia sui da shu”恩澤下歲大孰 (May favors be bestowed and the harvest be a good one.), excavated at Niya.
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