Art Research On The Plaques And Couplets In Folk Dwellings Of Shanxi Merchants

The art of plaques and couplets is one of the important carriers of Chinese traditional culture and it is a unique cultural symbol of the Chinese nation.Through literature review and field investigation,this paper analyzes the artistic form,artistic features,artistic and cultural values and aesthetic features of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants.Furthermore,according to the status quo of preservation of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants,the protection measures are given.The folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants refer to the buildings built by Shanxi merchants in Shanxi during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.The artistic aesthetic value of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants is high and its artistic shapes are diverse,including rectangular and fancy plaques and couplets.The selection of materials and production technology of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants are very exquisite,which can be divided into three categories,wooden,stone and brick plaques and couplets;The content of couplets is very rich,according to the number of words and writing methods to summarize its inherent differences and connections.The art of calligraphy is the charm of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants.The characters are rich and varied,including regular script,running script,official script,seal script and cursive script.There are many celebrities inscribing for folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants.Some of them are locals,such as Fu Shan,Yang Eryou,Qi Junzao.Some of them are central officials of the court,for example,Liu Yong,Zuo Zongtang,Li Hongzhang.As well as other officials at all levels and celebrities in Shanxi at that time.Their calligraphic styles are very different and have high appreciation value.The cultural connotation of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants is rich.First,it is highly consistent with the connotation of Shanxi merchants culture.Shanxi merchants have their own social beliefs,includng the way of do business and their adherence to Confucian culture.They are all displayed through the plaques and couplets.Second,it conforms to the characteristics of folk culture.This paper has sorted out the folk customs of invitation,gift,inscription and hanging.Combined with the cultural connotation and value of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants,the paper summarizes its artistic and aesthetic characteristics with the beauty of human cultural landscape and artistic conception of poetry and painting.Plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants are in urgent need of protection.This paper summarizes the current situation of protection,including the problems of rapid urbanization,insufficient protection and low level of related research.This paper tries to put forward some measures to solve the problem.First,to improve the protection awareness of plaques and couplets.Second,formulate specific protection plans.The external communication of plaques and couplets in folk dwellings of Shanxi merchants needs to seek modern means,including realizing online recognition effect with the help of mobile media terminals,establishing digital virtual folk museum and using various media platforms to innovate communication approachs.