Heterogeneity of Emotional Impression and Visual Appearance of Taotie in the Periods of the Ancient Chinese Dynasties of Xia, Shang-Yin and Zhou

Abstract

Assessing the inlay of art objects and rituals of the Shang-Yin era (1554-1046 BC) with the image of Taotie, the special virtuosity of the ancient masters in the arrangement of visual accents is noted, where the visual center of inlay and fixation of the gaze is the image of a beast-like monster with a menacing ferocious appearance. Awe and fear are the ideas embedded in the image of Taotie, the impact of which is comparable to an encounter with an aggressive animal or with something inexplicably mystical. His mouth suggests a grin, without the existing visible outlines of the lower jaw, complemented by snake-like details twisted into waves and spirals, adding the impression of a tense, ready-to-attack body. This is what a snake, tiger, or even a cat looks like, having a curved tense body at the moment of aggression. The resulting psychological reaction regards the object as a potentially dangerous creature. Despite the dominant position of the Taotie image, which appeared in the era of metal on objects of art and ritual, its appearance is not the same for the three dynasties. Originating from imperfect images in the form of ornaments in the Hia period (2070-1765 BC), most likely associated with the possibilities of bronze casting, it was improved in the Shang Dynasty, when the symbol was given more importance than writing. In the Zhou era (1045-770 BC), his image acquires features that are not clear, without emphasis on the depicted being, explained primarily by the change of priorities from the cult of ancestors to the cult of heaven. Changes in the visual appearance indicate a different attitude towards the character, respectfully special in the Shang period and the early Bronzes of the Hia era, and a certain alienation in the Zhou dynasty, when his image is still used, but at the same time only resembles the national ornament of the ancestors.