Research On The Decoration Art Culture Of Chi Tou In Jinzhong,Shanxi

The brick carving of Shanxi residences is one of the treasures of the national intangible cultural heritage.As a unique form of brick carving components of the Jin school,Chi Tou has practical value in supporting the eaves,aesthetic value in decorating the architecture and spiritual value in educating people.The scholars mainly summarize the decoration themes,auspicious moral,style characteristics and artistic methods of Chi Tou in certain regions from their current research,but in-depth analysis of the connection between Chi Tou art and the local environment and the regularity of the structure and decoration content of Chi Tou is still needed.Inheriting the excellent cultural heritage of Chinese civilization,this thesis takes the Mansion of the Chang’s,which represents the typical ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties in the northern part of China,as the object of study.This thesis attempts to combine the theories of iconography,semiotics,architecture and folklore,and systematically study the connection between the decoration patterns of the Chi Tou in the Mansion and the local culture and the links among the elements of the Chi Tou and buildings in the Mansion.The excellent traditional culture of architectural art of China would be promoted by exploring the decorating cultural features of the Chi Tou in the Mansion.This thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter one mainly expounds the source,basis and significance of the study,reviews the domestic and foreign study and introduces the content,methods,and innovation of the study.Chapter two sorts out the historical origins of domestic brick carving factions,the materials,manufacturing process and carving techniques of brick carvings,classifies Chi Tou according to decoration themes and structures,and analyzes the cultural connotations.Chapter three takes the Mansion of the Chang’s,which represents the typical ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties,as the object of study by on-site research and conducts in-depth research to it from multiple perspectives.Firstly,the relationship between the decoration subject of Chi Tou and its environment is explored by classifying the Chi Tou in the Mansion into five main functional categories according to the courtyard functional properties.Secondly,the connotation of the characters on the couplets and plaques in different courtyards is analyzed,assisted by using the decoration language of the Chi Tou in the Mansion.Thirdly,the relationship between the decoration themes or patterns of Chi Tou and the three kinds of carvings or colored paintings in the mansion is analyzed.Chapter four attempts to reveal the origins of Chi Tou styles by analyzing the functions of the Chi Tou in the Mansion.The decoration language paradigm is discussed and further more illustrated by line drawings by classifying the Chi Tou in the Mansion according to its structural complexity.Chapter five proposes suggestions of protecting Chi Tou and points out the ways to inherit art traditions in the present age.Finally,suggestions of transforming the values of Chi Tou in the new era are proposed based on the completed value transformation.