On Decorations of Chinese Bronze Sculpture Statue (2)
Long wen (dragon) is one of the decorative patterns on the bronze sculpture statue. Dragon is a fabulous creature in Divine Lang. Generally it is shown with a front-view picture. Its nose acts as the middle line with eyes placing on the both sides and the body is extended to both flanks. If it is patterned with its side-view, then the image becomes a long body with a claw. The image of dragon originated from long time ago, but the usage as a decoration on bronze sculptures was first seen in Erligang period of Shang Dynasty, then different types of dragon wen had all appeared in late Shang Dynasty, Western Zhou Dynasty, Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States. The dragon patterns in Shang Dynasty were assumed buckling patterns; Western Zhou Dynasty performed a few mutual coiled dragon, or head in the middle separating one into two dragons. In the tale, the emergence of dragon always was connected with water. Therefore, the image of an ancient dragon had been used to symbolize the god of water and rolled dragon or three-dimensional image appeared much often.
According to the structure of dragon patterns on the bronze sculptures, they can be split into crawling dragon, rolled-up dragon, jiaolong design, two-head dragon and binary-body pattern and others.
Crawling dragon was usually designed its side-view acting as crawl. The dragon china bronze opens its mouth and upper lip volumes up, down or lower to the mouth. The medium of the picture is its middle body with horn on top of the forehead and one or two fin-shaped feet or simply without any feet. The tail is usually made curled up. Mostly the patterns are symmetrical arrangement and prevalent in late Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty.
The body of Juanlong wen (coiled dragon) often designed curling up with nose to tail or spiral-like and decorated in the center of the plate. From the Yin Dynasty to the period of Warring States, this kind of patterns is common and the only difference lies in construction of the images chinese bronze sculpture statue.
Shuangti long wen or two-tailed dragon centered on its head with the body extending into two sides. This pattern takes on a banding look, so its body can have sufficient room to fully spread the body which is actually a symmetric figure. This pattern is often decorated on the mouth edge of fang yi (方彝)or fang ding, a sort of wine bronze statue.
Chi wen(蟠螭纹). Chi, a hornless dragon, shapes like Kui with open mouth and rolled-up tail. Some chinese bronze are two consecutively arranged, and some forms are four consecutive patterns and always applied as major design.
Besides, Chi implies beautiful and auspicious life and refers to the affection between men and women at the same time. Chi long china bronze sculpture is also known as grass dragon. The folk thought it can be big and small, good at transforming. It is believed that it could drive away evil spirits and protect people from disasters and difficulties. Painting with lotus as a whole means a long relationship. Thus it is a symbol of good relationship between male and female, and their feelings can last for a long time.
Silkworm pattern(蚕纹). Round head, protruding eyes and buckling body. It is often decorated on the mouth or feet of bronze sculptures.
The pattern of elephant(象纹). This pattern displays like an elephant with obvious feature of long trunk. There are some other images with merely an elephant head or trunk.
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