Research On The Artistic Characteristics And Ideological Connotation Of The Twenty-Eight Constellations Of Jincheng Yuhuang Temple

The number,integrity and artistic value of surviving sculptures in Shanxi are among the highest in the country.During the Song and Yuan dynasties,the rulers promoted Taoism,which led to the development of Taoist sculpture.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,the development of Taoism was curtailed and Taoist sculpture went into decline.Nowadays,scholars have studied Chinese Buddhist sculpture quite extensively,while relatively little research has been done on Daoist sculpture.Based on this phenomenon,the author conducts a study and analysis of the twenty-eight starry night Daoist sculptures at the Jade Emperor Temple in Jincheng.The Jade Emperor Temple in Jincheng is a Taoist temple built during the Northern Song Dynasty,and is best known for its colourful sculptures of the twenty-eight stars.The Jade Emperor Temple is a landmark in the art of realistic Taoist temple sculpture in China.Based on the rich artistic value and unique status of the Jade Emperor Temple Twenty-eight Starry Night Sculptures,this essay takes the 28 Starry Night Sculptures of the Jade Emperor Temple as the object of study.The sculptors have used their imagination and artistic creativity to blend the appearance of secular people with the image of the gods to create a simple and realistic image of both gods and goddesses,with a rich variety of square,round and straight lines and contrasting colours.From the historical and cultural background of the time period,the sculptures are also explored for their philosophical connotations of the unity of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism,and the “unity of nature and man” concept.The author hopes that through this study of the art of the twenty-eight star sculptures at the Jade Emperor Temple,more scholars will pay attention to the preservation of traditional culture and contribute to the promotion and protection of the artistic value of this fine Taoist sculpture.