中華古玉的天界之門圖騰, The Gate to Heaven Motif in Chinese Antique Jade

gateto heaven1本文所搜集到的天界之門(本文所界定的名詞)計有戰國虎座飛鳥(鳳飛九天),  春秋玉璧(有可能是和氏璧), 光武御製款銅壺漢代鏤空避邪獸薄雕. 及明代玉牌, 天界之門圖騰所在位置多數在神面圖騰附近, 意味神居住於天界, 人間靈魂必須穿越天界之門才能到達天界與天神共處. 春秋玉璧之描述更為具象, 人的靈魂必須穿越表示地界與天界的藩籬繩索紋, 才能到達天界之門. Over the years, I have found several Chinese antique art objects containing the motif I define as gate to heaven. They are the pheonix tiger woodstand of the Warring States, the  Spring Autumn period jade bi( possibly the legendary Ho’s bi), the bronze container of the Easter Han Dynasty , the thin openwork carving of pixie plaque, and the Ming Dynasty jade plaque. Except the pheonix tiger woodstand of the Warring States  of which the gate to heaven motif is located on the neck of phoenix, all the others located near the God’s face, the gate to heaven on the Spring Autumn period jade bi even more elaborately dipicted  outside the rope which is supposedly served as the boundary between the earth and the heaven. gateto heavensmile-sign15863545966015370gate158748536127412851a

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