Study on the Witchcraft Characteristics and Royal Power Symbols of Needle Carving Decoration of Lacquerware in Warring States Period of China

摘要

Needle-carving technique of lacquerware is a method of carving patterns with needles and cones on the surface of dried lacquerware. As early as in the Warring States Period, needle-carving technique has been applied to the inscription and decoration of lacquerware, which has a far-reaching impact on the lacquerware carving of Han Dynasty and lacquerware art of later generations. Academic circles generally believe that lacquerware needle-carving techniques originate from bronze engraving. After sorting out ancient documents and existing objects of Warring States lacquerware, this research finds that the needle-carving techniques of lacquerware in the Warring States Period and the early pottery carving, jade carving, tortoise shell carving and bronze carving have some meanings of witchcraft; it is deduced that the needle-carving of lacquerware in the Warring States Period is the result of the interaction of various craft categories. As a kind of "behavior", the needle-carving technique of lacquerware in the Warring States Period retained the "witchcraft" characteristic of the early decoration, and was also the pursuit of establishing ritual system and distinguishing social classes at that time.