Bücher von Erdberg

Since the earliest literary sources of China yield no information about the religious concepts underlying the animal style on ancient Chinese bron­ zes, an attempt is made in this paper to find an explanation by studying the idea of Tao. Although our knowledge of Tao stems mainly from writings of the 3rd century B. c. , a pre-philosophical Tao - to use a phrase coined by Prof. Dr. Grimm in the discussion - may well have been the pivot of the Chinese image of the world in Shang times. Some of the attributes, which in the later writings belong to Tao - immobility and the lack of a distinct shape - are characteristic of the animal demons on Shang dynasty sacrificial vessels. The monster-mask called T'ao-t'ieh, the dragons, birds, and other animals are symbols of the power that creates and sustains life. On each ritual vessel they combine to form an integrated image of the fun­ damentals of cosmic order. They are arranged in pattern areas, which they fill completely, as the Tao permeates the whole world. They are confined within these areas on the ritual vessel, so that the magic of the symbol may benefit the sacrificer, who can only thrive in this world by fitting himself into its order through observance of omens and sacrificial rites.

In Chinese architecture a Northern style represents the power of the ruler; a Southern style, freedom from government interference. The latter was probably developed by painters during Southern Sung, when North China was under the rule of "barbarians". When, in the 16th century, the Chinese from the Southern coastal provinces began to immigrate to Taiwan, they took with them their architecture with its elaborately curved and decorated roofs, as a symbol of their cultural superiority. After 1947, the mainland Chinese used the so-called Renaissance, pat­ terned after the Northern style, for government buildings. These two poles of architecture on Taiwan, the Peking Palace style and the uniquely consistent variant of the Southern style preserved on the island, sugges- supported by Sung buildings - that architectural styles arise from historical situations, to which they, in turn, give visual and lasting expl'ession. Resume Dans l'architecture chincoise, un style du nord represente la puissance du despote et un style du sud la liberte de l'esprit. II fut vraissemblablement forme par les peintres de l'epoque Sung du sud, alors qu'en Chine sep­ tentrionale regnaient les «barbares». Lorsqu'au XVI" siede, les Chinois des provinces littorales du sud commencer,ent d'emigrer vers Formose, il em­ porterent avec eux leur architecture aux toits richement arques et orne- comme symbole de leur superiorite culturelle.