Ancient Meaning: A Kind Of Art Style Of The Art Archaeology

This dissertation centers on the theme of“Guyi (Implications of Antiquity)”. It elaborates the assimilations and innovations of indigenous traditional bronze mirror art of Sui and Tang Dynasty in aspects of formal, symbolic and cultural backgrounds.The dissertation is divided into eight chapters, covering four major issues:The first, the trace of Guyi. It analyzes the antique revival elements and significances of graphic pattern of Sui and Tang bronze mirrors, explores the evolution process of graphic pattern antique implications. Furthermore, it discusses the origins of Tang’s special craft mirror, examining the visible patterns and craft to reveal the close connections between Sui and Tang’s mirrors and Han’s ones.Second, the origin and Guyi. From the mirrors excavated from Sui and Tang tomb which predate Sui and Tang time, it draw the conclusion that the antique implications of Sui and Tang bronze mirror comes from remaining samples of previous time. Combined with Tang’s understanding of antique mirrors, it elaborates the solid social base of Sui and Tang’s bronze mirror antique implications.Third, the making of Guyi. Using the casting of Qianqiujing (Longevity Mirror) and Taoist mirrors as examples to emphasizes the worship of divine and supernatural ideas of antique mirrors during Tang dynasty. As a result, new cast mirrors which nominally borrowed antique patterns flourished during Tang time, with mythical functions.Fourth, the beauty of Guyi. It deals with the reason behind Sui and Tang’s assimilation and following of Han’s bronze mirror, and their innovative progress. Comparing with Han’s bronze mirror, Sui and Tang’s ancient implications are aesthetic features shown in different period, and further demonstrates the historical background of the practices of Sui and Tang’s ancient implications.This research bases on a cosmopolitan environment of Tang dynasty with intensive cultural exchanges with the outside world, focusing on how the Tang people to further their own native art tradition.