Page 111 - Deydier UNDERSTANDING CHINESE ARCHAIC BRONZES

his people’s behalf, thereby receiving heaven’s, the spirits’ and the throughout the villages and towns of China to ward off evil influences
ancestors’ help in controlling the natural elements and thus ensuring and foster auspiciousness was, until the 1950s, an ubiquitous sight and
within his kingdom the success of agriculture, the avoidance of is, even now, making a comeback in villages and towns on the mainland
destructive natural disasters and the peaceful, uninterrupted continuity as well as in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other areas throughout the world
of his rule and dynasty. which have large ethnic Chinese populations.

The Role of Decorative Elements on Ancient Ritual Bronzes The Taotie 饕餮 or Animal Mask 獸面

In ancient China and especially in the early dynasties, which were
obsessed with worship of heaven, the spirits and the ancestors, as well
as with divination to predict the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness
of all important planned activities, the decorative patterns on bronze
ritual vessels were believed to be instilled, in themselves, with the
power to offset inauspicious forces, whether of the spirit world or of
nature, and not only facilitate the worshipping ruler’s contact with the
spirit world, but also when used properly in the worship of heaven, the
spirits and the ancestors, to endow the ruler with power to overcome
and control evil and harmful elements and promote auspiciousness.

The decor on these sacred vessels also produced a certain visual impact
which helped transform the atmosphere at the worship site and thus
enhanced the solemnity of such worship ceremonies, awed onlookers
and deeply impressed on their minds the power and majesty of the
rituals’ royal celebrants and of the spirits and/or august ancestors to
whom the ritual worship was being directed. The taotie 饕餮, the most important and most common motif of the
ancient Chinese decorative repertoire, is easily recognized, in spite
of its undergoing with time many variations and modifications. For
Remnants of Ancient Beliefs in Today’s Greater China whatever its size or proportions, the taotie 饕餮 always appears as a
mythical creature’s face, cast with large eyes, and a nose of some sort,
The belief among the ancient ancestors of today’s Chinese in the but no lower jaw, to which may be added a pair of powerful horns and
efficacy of certain decorative elements to protect and ward off evil, sometimes triangular ears. The taotie 饕餮 mask is very often composed
has lasted throughout the ages up to the present moment among the of two stylized confronting kui 夔 dragons shown in profile. (See pages
general Chinese population, albeit in somewhat different forms from 111-112.)
those found on early period bronze vessels.
Possible Origins of the Original Taotie 饕餮 Mask
The placing of stone and bronze tigers, lions, tortoises and mythological
chimera at the doorways of homes, temples, etc. and the hanging of According to an ancient Chinese myth, a being called taotie 饕餮 was the
woodblock prints of spirit guardians, ogre faces, etc. on doorways son of the God Jinyun 神人縉雲氏. A good-for-nothing, fear-inspiring,

Detail of fangyi shown on page 35.

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