TRANSFORMATION OF BORROWED PHENOMENA: THE BUDDHIST FRESCO IN DUNGHUAN AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE MOSQUES OF SHAANXI PROVINCE IN CHINA

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the phenomenon of borrowing without being limited by a specific style, and on the basis of this to argue at which hierarchical level the transformation took place: at the level of composition, form or decor.
 The relevance of the research topic is determined by the need to analyze how local cultural and artistic traditions influenced the transformation of borrowed styles and what exactly the phenomenon of transformation consisted of, whether it was the same for several borrowed styles.
 As a result of the study of wall paintings in different periods, it was established that, according to the figurative concept of Dunhuang, the transformation was as follows:
 – a departure from the original Indian frescoes by complicating the compositions in the direction of three-dimensionality and polymorphism, diversifying polychromy, anatomical perfection, detailing and giving the image a national color through portrait images of founders in Chinese clothes, scenes from their lives, landscape images; 
 – therefore, in the Dunhuang frescoes, the transformation was focused on the planar images of the fresco (the role of ritual sculpture in the Dunhuang sanctuaries was much smaller). 
 Despite the fact that Islam never competed with Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in terms of the number of believers in China, the rulers were friendly towards the construction of mosques. However, they are clearly dominated by Chinese traditions:
 – there are much more courtyards than in traditional mosques, and they are landscaped according to Chinese landscape design and have ponds with fish (this is a purely Chinese tradition);
 – the appearance of the pavilions and gates is purely Chinese: pavilions with a traditional Chinese silhouette, curved roofs with tiled roofs, complex multi-level eaves, open galleries on pillars, the use of traditional Chinese building materials (stone, brick, wood, tiles), bright polychromy, small detailing.
 So, in the case of mosques as well, Chinese culture radically changed their appearance, giving them maximum similarity with the temples of traditional religions.
 Thus, the transformation took place equally at all levels – planning, landscape design, three-dimensional form, plane with wall paintings and carvings.
 Later, this style manifested itself in the transformation of European Art Nouveau, which was also superimposed on local traditions.