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2 0055 I proceed with my studies the more I ize that this 4s a hard task especially if one has to work alone nd owing to war-time conditions is not uven able to get the necessary Chinese literature. I should appreciate it very much if you could kindly read the following notes. At the present I am investigating the peinted pottery symbols. I have published one article about this subject in the "Bur...
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2 0055 I proceed with my studies the more I ize that this 4s a hard task especially if one has to work alone nd owing to war-time conditions is not uven able to get the necessary Chinese literature. I should appreciate it very much if you could kindly read the following notes. At the present I am investigating the peinted pottery symbols. I have published one article about this subject in the "Burlington Magazine" April 1942(The Neolithic 8 mbols and the Purpose of Art in China.) and now I am preparing another article for the "Transaction of the Oriental Ceramic Society? I intend to publish the complete material later in a book called "The Meaning of Crinese Art." I assume that the geometrical patterns painted on pottery found in Honan, Shensi, Shansi and also those found in Kansu are calendar signs. The painted pottery symbols in China as well as those found on pottery in West Asi Inäis and Europe are all relsted to the calendar cult which must have flourished in pre-historic periods all over Asia end Europe. To give you one example how one can identify the patterns: There are represented on the painted pottery in Honan, Shensi, Shansi and in Kansu a great number of ovals with a middle bar. (fig.1) They resemble the ideograph for sun used in similar SOS forms skrsady during the Shang period. The usual explenstion for this particular sun sign is , that it represents the sun just rising sbove the horizon. Yet in reality the meaning of
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5 0058 Honan, Shensi and Shansi reflect a highly developed calendar culte In Kansu triangles often with rays at the en& (see: G.D. Wu "Prehistoric Pottery in China, Ma- ch'ang fig. 88-11) show another...
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5 0058 Honan, Shensi and Shansi reflect a highly developed calendar culte In Kansu triangles often with rays at the en& (see: G.D. Wu "Prehistoric Pottery in China, Ma- ch'ang fig. 88-11) show another version of the hanging and standing segment symbolism. Ås a matter of fact from Persepolis (see: Herfekå Herzfeld."Iran".) to Jandat Nasr both representing very early s' ages of the calendar cult through all sges up till historic periods these symbols keep their importance and to a certain degree their identity. Even ån Buddhist art a stad standing equilateral triangle corresponds to the rising sun and its counterpart with its point downwards is a symbol of the setting sun. (see: Coosmaraswamy."Elements of Buddhist Iconography"Ddg. 31) This corroborates our statement that the hanging and standing triangles are symbols of the setting or rising sun respectivly. In case the downwards point reaches the lower line or if there are no standing triangles we may assume that the sun in winter or more precisely the period GS the winter solstice is meant. It is ouite interesting to compare therefore early ideographs for the cyclical sim 3 the sign for the winter solstice with the calendar symbols. It often shows the hanging segment of triangle with its point downward. i Se Here is just one more example to show the implication of the calendar symbolism. The triangles are adorned sometimes with a vertical beam. (see:Wu. op. eit. Ma ch'ang 8.9) -or by a human figure. (fig.5 ) This introduces a constellation
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4 0057, The segments of equal site symbolize therefore the period when ihe dey and night are of equal length, that is at the time of the equinoxes. AB the oval stands for the spring equinox, this repr...
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4 0057, The segments of equal site symbolize therefore the period when ihe dey and night are of equal length, that is at the time of the equinoxes. AB the oval stands for the spring equinox, this represents the autumn eguinox. An additional conelusion we can draw is that the solstices are represented by those hanging or standing segments which cover the whole space between the upper and lower lines.Ihe standing segment for the summer solstice and the hanging segment for the winter solsticdt öoncentrie segments may be taken as indications of the various orbiis of the sun. These are the four most simple signs but they are in a way the key to the others. They enable us to identify some of the combinations of patterns on the bowls or dishes., For instance fig.å shows an autumn equinox sign alternating with a wintet solstice symbol. The maltese cross on the other hand (fig. ) can be constructed by ovals interlaced with autumn equinox signs anä thus means springfplus autumn equinox, in later Chinese worås it stands sor pa Among the various ideographs for the sun depicted on oracle bones and on inscriptions standing ovals and concentric circles occur rather freauently. All these forms are used on the neolithic patterns. It would take too long to explain them in detail. Variations may be due to local differences or to differences of time. Not all the ovals fepicted on the painted pottery arw euuinox or sun symbols. Things are rather much more cumpkiz complicated. The calendar signs,,especielly those in
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103, Gorringham Road 0088. London N.W.11 November 15th 1945 Dear Professor Karlgren, Owing to war conditions I got hold og the B.M.F.E.A. 1943 only a few weeks ago. I was very pleased to see that at l...
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103, Gorringham Road 0088. London N.W.11 November 15th 1945 Dear Professor Karlgren, Owing to war conditions I got hold og the B.M.F.E.A. 1943 only a few weeks ago. I was very pleased to see that at least in Sweden ,serious work wås done äuring the last " six yeers. I am very much interested in the painted pottery of ancient China and I think Professor Anderssons work is of utmost value for all students of ancient Chinese civilization. I would love to come over and see your collections and talk the problems over with Professor Andersson and you; however, this is at present impossible. I wonder whether you ever got an article on Neolithic Psinted Potbery Patterns I send you in 1942? In the meantime I have continued my studies and I enclose the copy of a letter which I send to a Chinese friend outlining in a very general way my recent investigations. I should like to publish some of my material. The Oriental Ceramic Society asked me for an article ter their "Transactions", But I am somewhat reluctant to publish the results of my work there as the distribution of the "Transaction "is very limited. Moreover, my studies tend more towards the sinological side and do hardly deal with aestnhetic or technical problems with which the Transactions are mostly concemmed.
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Do you think that I could publish my material in the B.M.F.E.A. ? I should feel very honoured if you would” accept an article. For a&n early reply I should be very grateful because I should like to ar...
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Do you think that I could publish my material in the B.M.F.E.A. ? I should feel very honoured if you would” accept an article. For a&n early reply I should be very grateful because I should like to arrange my work correspondingly. Studying Chinese art and especially its earlier periods I became more and more convinced that the old way of purely aesthetic approach didier not lead us anywhere. I believe that in order to understand the spiritual evolution of China we should endeavour to discover the source of its inspiration rather than solely admiring the technical skill exhibited in works of art. That is, we should first try to find out the meaning of the patterns. 5 For instance there can be no doubt that the patterns on the neolithic painted pottery are symbols. To assume that they are merely the outcome of en artist's whimsical mood can only be hold by those who have no knowleåge of the function of art in ancient eivilizations. The more I proceed(run on)
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the ovals on the neolithic pottery is more complicated. The cyelical sign used ST the 12 branches for the spring Fate tajt svan DC: forng ara) jUP ANestrey vortteg an open door. The middle lines repre...
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the ovals on the neolithic pottery is more complicated. The cyelical sign used ST the 12 branches for the spring Fate tajt svan DC: forng ara) jUP ANestrey vortteg an open door. The middle lines represent the door posts to which the hinkBes are fixed, The conclusion we can draw is that the oval with the middle bar is a symbol for the spring equinox. Moreover the oval is also a female symbol. Some o Kansu pattern look likdthe 3 3 of | and this is an additional proof for their association with women and birth. Moreover the old form for moon 133) 4; 2 ; This means the doors are also moon symbols.(It reminås one of the story of the moon as consort and mother of the sun. This is, however,a late version.) The conception that the sun in spring is rising through an open door is not only current in China but also prevailing in Western Asia. (see: Assyrian seal eylinders showing the doors opening and the sun god sitting between the two posts.) Moreover the Egyptian priests taught that the two great godesses Isis and Nephtys lift up the disc of the sun in spring. (May we compare this story with Hi end Ho, the motherg of the sun?) The autumn equinox is logically represented by a elogea aootF We may therefore associate the back-to- back segments of equal site with the autumn eouinox. The origin of these opposing segments goes back to a simple day-and night symbolism. In general we may connect the segment suspended from the upper line with darkness and the fall of night and the segment standing on the upper line with the rising day.
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1 0060 in this letter. Much spesks for it that the often discussed & ideogrpah on bronzes is connected with this symbol. Especially in its combination witn(T) rain or water. To sum up: The menltithie ...
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1 0060 in this letter. Much spesks for it that the often discussed & ideogrpah on bronzes is connected with this symbol. Especially in its combination witn(T) rain or water. To sum up: The menltithie painted pottery patterns represent a picture of the cosmic order or of the laws of creation end transformation and as such they are important for the living as well as for the dead. The painted pottery symbolism is not an isolsted phenomenon in China but directly linked with the Shang wymholismxx and Chou symbolism. I have Bo far not tried to arrange the neolithic symbolism in a chronological order. For my purpose it was better to restrict the investigation solely to the meaning of the Patterns. I wonder, however, whether the late date which is now is mostly given tb the painted pottery hoth in Honan, Shensi and Shansi and in Kansu is justified. The other day I had a long talk with Professor Sidney Smith the Director of the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities in the British Museum. He assured me that the painted pottery found near Perpepolis which is partly astonishing sisiler to that in Kansu goes back mueh further than the fourth and fifth millenium B.C. I hope this will suffice to show you just the general outlay of my work. It is impossible in a letter to say more; and I fear I have already overstepped your patience. I am afraid my knowledge of Chinese is not good enohågh. I would welcome an opportunity to brush it up. froeonsection uith my <Psesent work, I should be extremely grateful def jan sould
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6 0857 sign into the patterns. You will remember that among the northern mansions 45 is Wei KL) which according to Schlegel"Uranographke Chinoise" is associated vitn kd? and therefore related to verti...
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6 0857 sign into the patterns. You will remember that among the northern mansions 45 is Wei KL) which according to Schlegel"Uranographke Chinoise" is associated vitn kd? and therefore related to vertical SLE Wei culminates at midnight at the wincer solstice. The beam in the middle of the hanging triangles may thus be the sign for Wei and for the night of the winter solstice. Yet there is another constellation called the Å man or gable star, which culminates few days after the solstice a The man-star is said to be the most importent constellation, as -it-were £hexessencexofx it is seidt to represent the essence of ell human beings. It is a creation symbol not only for the sun but also for mankind. (I wonder whether this rather unimpressive constellation is not a substitute for an older one, perhabs Orion? )In any case the anthropomorphiszed figure may be connected with the man- star. One may Förvasä as a conjecture that this figure is the prototyp for the ideograph for Fk often writen with a pointing down triangle on oracle bones and Shang snseriptions. TMC The Mi constellation is said to stand just above the centre of the great constellation of the North, the Black Tortoise and may be Eu Mr. Kuo Ho jung was right in assockating these two signs with heeven and tortoise. It would then be a symbol for winter and the winter solstice. However, on the painted pottery ware these two signs are not combined. Although tortoise and tadpole-or frog-like creatures are represented, The development of these creatures can be followed up from the earliest periods of painted potery in Iran. I cannot deal with this symbolism
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