Shang Yongqi Ph.D. in History，Professor, Department of History, Ningbo University，Concurrently serves as Vice President bet365 bonus code louisiana Chinese Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties Historical Society、Director and other positions of China Society for the History of Sino-Foreign Relations。Mainly engaged in the history bet365 bonus code louisiana spread of Buddhism in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties、History of Silk Road Civilization、Research on image history and animal history，Published more than 50 academic papers in magazines such as "Chinese Social Sciences" and "Historical Research"，In China Social Sciences Press、10 works published by The Commercial Press and others。

"Image history" is a historical study based on ancient image data as key evidence，It is a complement and mutual confirmation bet365 bonus code louisiana "non-visibility" defect of traditional literature。“Image history” is not the history of art history and the evolution of styles of works，What it unearths should be the era of visualization as a supplementary part of big history、Society、Thoughts。From this，The main object of its investigation can be summarized as "object images"，Through the objects and images created by humans in ancient society，Review and examine the development and migration of human civilization。

Life and history are the same，It’s all a flowing river，is the vector on the arrow of time。And human creations on the ancient Silk Road，This is the best section to witness the flow of history and the migration of civilization。The flow of civilization elements on the Silk Road，Including the movement of people，There is a businessman、Monk、Messenger、Army；Flow of things，There are animals、Plant、Mineral、Artificial product；The flow of thoughts，There is language flow、Book flow、Image movement、Technology Mobile；Wait。Among them，The typical example that we are most concerned about is the flow of images and visual objects，Because bet365 bonus code louisiana flow of images or the spread of objects bet365 bonus code louisiana same parent，Often includes the transformation of different civilizations along the way、Use specific symbols，Present us the real life image bet365 bonus code louisiana same theme under different circumstances。

　　The life bet365 bonus code louisiana Persian king frozen on the Merv pottery

Human civilization from the day it was born，People realize that they need to leave physical traces on various substances，Only in this way can we fully express and confirm our synchronic thinking and diachronic existence。Human civilization system、Philosophical concepts、The fashion bet365 bonus code louisiana times, etc.，It must be expressed in a materialized symbol system，Only to escape the oblivion of time，An eternal thing that preserves the historical events that have happened to prove its existence。

Towering stone tablets, pillars and epitaphs、Mural、Pottery, etc.，It is a classic creation that solidified the image and achievements bet365 bonus code louisiana ancient powerful class。We’ll even do it on a tiny clay pot，You can intuitively see the vivid and glorious life bet365 bonus code louisiana foreign king thousands of years ago。

Sasanian Persian king pottery jar，Excavated from the ancient city of Merv in Turkmenistan。1962，The archaeological team led by Ma Song，A Buddhist temple discovered in Chiaulkara，The big Buddha head and stupa were unearthed，There are also Kushan coins from the 2nd century。This 64 cm high fired clay pot was unearthed from this temple，It is from the 4th to 5th century，The jar contains Buddhist scriptures，Unfortunately it was destroyed by termites，Cannot be restored。The content painted on the jar has nothing to do with Buddhism，Maybe depicts the glorious life of a certain Sasanian Persian king。Plot developed according to the story，The main part bet365 bonus code louisiana belly bet365 bonus code louisiana pot between the ears，There are two theme pictures on both sides。On one side is the Persian king wearing a crown and holding a scepter、The scene bet365 bonus code louisiana queen holding flower buds，The background is falling red petals；On the other side is the scene bet365 bonus code louisiana Persian king riding a horse and bowing to hunt，There is a fawn running away behind it。The third scene is painted below and on both sides of one bet365 bonus code louisiana jar ears，It is the scene after the death bet365 bonus code louisiana Persian king，He lies under the patterned fabric，There are two women beside me who are mourning or saying goodbye in tears，There is another person holding a small lamp next to him、The man who may be praising。The most important thing is，Behind this man，There is a Zoroastrian priest wearing a mask，And above him is a majestic eagle。

This light yellow clay pot is placed alone in a corner bet365 bonus code louisiana exhibition hall bet365 bonus code louisiana National Museum of Turkmenistan，Burning clay is the most common way of creating things，Using the simplest and classic three scenes: palace life、Hunting image、Place of death，A highly summarized record bet365 bonus code louisiana magnificent life of a Persian king。Under the light more than a thousand years later，What we see on this artifact，Of course not just three short drawings，But the more complicated depth of history。On top，You can see love that is not in written records or is more intuitive、War、Power；You can see the joy that cannot be seen in the official history books、Ordinary feelings such as tears；You can see the publicity of life，You can also see the decline of life。These are historical traces that cannot be expressed well in words or that some textual materials are unwilling to express。

among them，The image bet365 bonus code louisiana Persian king shooting bow and hunting takes the dominant position，This is a condensed summary and symbolic distillation bet365 bonus code louisiana most glorious part of a king’s political and military career。

"The so-called "major affairs bet365 bonus code louisiana country" in "Zuo Zhuan"，Sacrifice and Rong”，In fact, it is not just a classic state affairs in ancient China during the Zhou and Qin Dynasties，It is a common practice in ancient Eurasian societies。Although the content of rituals and "sacrifice" of countries or tribes in different civilization systems is different，But his "rong" affairs are nothing more than expanding the territory and acquiring rich children。In ancient Egypt、Assyria、Persia，Even in the ceremonial creations of China’s Warring States Period，There are some expressions and depictions of war scenes。The hunting of emperors and nobles，Not only a ceremonial rehearsal and practice of war scenes，Still connected to the military、Politics、A daily activity of economic and social class。

Hunting Picture、Travel map of carriage and horse，bet365 bonus code louisiana the top image for emperors and nobles to express their sacred identity and powerful life，Across the entire ancient Eurasia，Such images are the most expressive way to create a heroic image and a noble life。From the pharaohs of ancient Egypt to the kings of Persia and the princes and nobles of China，All in occasions involving sacredness such as ceremonial buildings、Mural paintings in tombs, etc.、Utensils on top，Depicting grand or gorgeous scenes of horseback hunting or horse team travel。

Wei and Jin mural tombs in the Hexi Corridor、Tomb of former Yan nobles、Tomb of Xu Xianxiu bet365 bonus code louisiana Northern Qi Dynasty、Northern Zhou Anga Tomb、The tomb of Yu Hong in the Sui Dynasty and the tomb of Prince Zhanghuai in the Tang Dynasty，We can all see beautiful images of hunting and hunting。These images depict continuous scenes of mobile life，Interpreting the merits and glory bet365 bonus code louisiana tomb owner and his family。Border officials、Sogdian merchant、Royal nobleman，All in the same theme image，Appropriate and joyful expression through different colors and compositions、Settled and soothed their lives。Behind the familiar image，Exhibits the same desire for power in humans，But it contains the differences and characteristics of civilizations in different regions。

Like the palace life represented by the Merv pottery、Hunting images and depictions of afterlife scenes，Same as the tomb murals and other creations we saw，It is often not recorded during the prosperous period bet365 bonus code louisiana life of a king or aristocrat，But it is drawn when life dies。Of course the depiction of this scene comes from the minds and handwriting of later generations，The expression may not necessarily be the wishes bet365 bonus code louisiana deceased，But it definitely expresses an attitude of human beings towards secular life or religious life，Expresses the contemplation and yearning for life。What’s more important，Expresses the ancients’ understanding of using “objects” to outline、Show off、The "eternal" appeal to affirm the social status bet365 bonus code louisiana deceased and his family。

　　The ever-changing palace school bet365 bonus code louisiana Silk Road

From the perspective of image history research，All kinds of historical “things” are no longer simple objects，But it stipulates and restricts people's views on the same person、Civilized symbols understood from the same event and the same scene，It is a "wordless image display"。In this sense，Historical events in our eyes，In fact, it is recognized and confirmed by “things” to a certain extent，Leave the auxiliary and symbol of those "things" with symbolic nature，The narrative of history will inevitably be a little pale or inadequate。"The Picture of Sakyamuni Sheep Asking the Learner" among the rock carvings in Gandhara，This is such a typical image，It carries textual story content from distant India，Continuous transformation bet365 bonus code louisiana process of image making that spread eastward，To adapt to the changed cultural atmosphere。

Go to school，This is an experience that everyone in modern society will have，But not necessarily in ancient society，So，The scene we can see of children going to school in ancient times，At least before the Song Dynasty，It should mostly show the situation of noble children。What we are going to examine and describe here，This is the scene，Such a person - Gautama Siddhartha，It is the ancient Indian aristocratic young man whom the famous writer Hesse once described seriously，One bet365 bonus code louisiana four great sages identified by the modern German philosopher Jaspers。However，The scene we are about to enter is not the era of his most glorious enlightenment or lobbying the cities of India，But his childhood enlightenment，The scene of entering the school to study - this is the first "ghost gate" that every child who goes to school has experienced，The first stop for strangers to seek knowledge。

We call this scene "The Study Picture of Sakyamuni on the Sheep"，In this Gandhara schist relief unearthed in the Charsadda Tehsil region of Pakistan，Siddhartha, who is a prince, sits on a cart pulled by 2 bighorn sheep，The driver holds the reins；Judging from the sheep’s fur，has hairs like long pine cones，They are obviously sheep。The front bet365 bonus code louisiana sheep cart，It is a slightly smaller guide waiter holding something in his hand；Under the tree behind the car，are the two following waiters。There are 4 people at the top bet365 bonus code louisiana screen - in fact, they should represent the 4 companions driving parallel to the car，They are larger than the attendants，Probably a child from the royal family such as King Nectar Rice bet365 bonus code louisiana Sakya clan，Is Prince Sakyamuni’s schoolmate。

We can understand such images as both historical events、Creations exaggerated by legends and art，It shows the scene of an ancient Indian aristocratic young man studying，The vehicle is not a luxuriously decorated vehicle that ordinary people can ride in，There are specific noble children accompanying them to school。And the problem is，With the spread of Buddhism，Such a story has to leave its native place of India，Visiting Central Asia and arriving at the Central Plains of China。The stories recorded in the Hu language bet365 bonus code louisiana Western Regions have been faithfully translated into Chinese，No character occurred、Changes in scene and plot，But when converting text into images，The performance elements begin to change。

Northern Zhou Dynasty，There is a mural scene of "Prince Going to Study" on the east slope of Cave 290 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes: Prince Siddhartha riding a horse，There is a teacher wearing Chinese clothes in front bet365 bonus code louisiana horse，The queen has two followers，One of them is wearing a canopy。The nobles bet365 bonus code louisiana Northern Dynasties did not ride in cars but rode horses，So Siddhartha must also ride on a horse，And put on the turbans, robes, ceremonial entourage and ceremonial entourage bet365 bonus code louisiana nobles bet365 bonus code louisiana Northern Zhou Dynasty。In the Tang Dynasty，In the 9th century silk paintings found in the Dunhuang Sutra Cave，The scene showing "the prince going to school" is depicted as "discussing with civil and military officials in the palace"，It is completely a layout of sitting on a Chinese-style couch in the palace and discussing things - a typical etiquette scene bet365 bonus code louisiana Chinese royal palace educating the crown prince，Siddhartha sitting on the couch listening to the lecture and Prince Fu giving the lecture，Accompanying ministers and noble children，There are also servants responsible for taking care of daily life。

Gandhara stone carvings，Siddhartha went to study with his teacher in a sheep cart or on the back of a sheep，Into the murals bet365 bonus code louisiana Northern and Southern Dynasties，Siddhartha is portrayed as riding on a horse to become a disciple，When it evolved to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it had to follow Chinese etiquette，Sitting on the Chinese couch and studying hard。Such a “magical” change，Dazzling。

Scenes with the same theme in written records，Spread through the Silk Road，In Image Shaping，Just in the character’s race image、Clothing、Scene、Teaching models and other aspects have undergone tremendous changes。The logic behind it，Metaphysically speaking, it is caused by the influence of civilization systems in different regions，In terms bet365 bonus code louisiana relationship between "people and things"，The symbolic meanings carried by “things” in different civilization systems are different。The "goat cart" can be used as a symbolic travel tool for the status of young Indian aristocrats in ancient India，But it cannot be recognized during the Northern Zhou Dynasty，Cannot use this to identify the character，Only the ride is gorgeously decorated、The tall horse bet365 bonus code louisiana ceremonial hunter，Only in order to distinguish the nobility bet365 bonus code louisiana characters in the portrait；The complete etiquette system established in the Tang Dynasty，You cannot allow Siddhartha, who is the prince, to go to the teacher's house to "apprentice"，Only the etiquette of serving in the palace is in line with the etiquette of "responding to people with things"。

　　The fashion and political order behind the horse bet365 bonus code louisiana

The fashion bet365 bonus code louisiana times is not only a pursuit of material possessions，It is also a collective identification with a specific culture，It is also a kind of group slogan that "to be successful in life, you must have fun"。The use of horses and their images by princes and nobles throughout the ages，It is a game that uses “things” to identify its identity、Show off your momentum、Preserve its eternal materialized feast。After Zhang Qian’s passage to the Western Regions，Wusunma、The so-called "Tianma" such as Dawan horses were introduced to the Central Plains，But why do we not have a large number of such fine horses bred and bred in our native natural horse population？The answer is the historical images of good horses from the Han Dynasty that we have seen，They are all a reflection bet365 bonus code louisiana fashion bet365 bonus code louisiana times，It just shows the cultural atmosphere of that era that was obsessed with "Pegasus"。In essence，The main population of horses in the Han Dynasty was not that beautiful，Huo Qubing、The horses Wei Qing and others rode in the Han-Hungarian cavalry battle，All are Qin horses，The Mongolian horses of later generations - they are not very tall，Dan Jingfengshuang、Endurance to fatigue、Good at long-distance running。

Therefore，The issues bet365 bonus code louisiana times faced by Emperor Wu bet365 bonus code louisiana Han Dynasty who longed for "Tianma"，Not needed to fight the Huns，It is more about the construction of its imperial image and its use as a medium to satisfy the thirst for spiritual life。Yuanshou three years (120 BC)，His poem "Horse Born in the Wowa Water" says: "Taiyi pays tribute to the horse under the sky，Red sweat, foamy and ocher。Cheng Rong and Xi Wanli，Now we are friends with Anpixilong。”The fourth year of Taichu (101 BC)，His "King Zhu Wan Gets Wan Horse" says: "The horse from the sky is coming from the west pole，After traveling thousands of miles, we return with virtue。The power bet365 bonus code louisiana spirit descends to foreign countries，Walking in Quicksand and Siyi Clothes。”Owa Chi Horse in the far northwest frontier、Dawan Horse，In the life perspective of Emperor Wu bet365 bonus code louisiana Han Dynasty，Not only a dragon as a friend、The symbol of returning to virtue for thousands of miles，Also for "Tianma Lai"，Dragon Matchmaker，You Changhe，The yearning to travel to the world of immortals on a Pegasus at the "Guanyutai"。

The introduction bet365 bonus code louisiana Dawan horse allowed the Han people to discover the more graceful shape bet365 bonus code louisiana horse，The short, fat and clumsy Qin horse was replaced by the capable and nimble Dawan horse、Replaced by elegance。Because of this，The aristocrats bet365 bonus code louisiana Han Dynasty arranged a large lineup of "Tianma" ceremonial guards and travel scenes in the underground world after death。The horses in the portrait stones were shaped and carved in the fashion bet365 bonus code louisiana times and boasted，His hooves are flying and his mane is flying、The image of a neighing noise，Created the illusion of confusion for us，I thought there were such arrogant horses everywhere in the Han Dynasty。Actually，Extraordinary horse image，It’s just the identification and identification bet365 bonus code louisiana nobles’ real-life status by the Han Dynasty，And the construction and self-evidence bet365 bonus code louisiana world after death。

thereafter，Pommel horse culture has become an important cultural symbol for calibrating social status，In daily life of food, clothing, housing and transportation，The hierarchical travel bet365 bonus code louisiana ruling class，Just in the complex ceremonial guards and gorgeous decorations、A team of horses with diverse coats and elegant colors are running at a gallop，Especially the Northern Dynasties、Sui and Tang Dynasties，The chariot and horse culture that dominated the material civilization of Zhou and Qin Dynasties with exquisite bronze vehicle parts was no longer glorious，In the tomb murals or burial pottery figurines bet365 bonus code louisiana royal nobles，We can often see lifelike images of tall horses with saddles or powerful cavalry。

Actually，Infatuation with horses，It is one bet365 bonus code louisiana common backgrounds of all civilizations on the Silk Road with the vast Eurasian grassland as the background，Is an important symbol of social order and social hierarchy。In those horse teams that are either standing still or galloping，The viewer can find the central character at a glance。On the woolen blanket unearthed in Bazerek，Wavy cloak、The image of a heroic hero riding a horse towards God，It is similar to the yearning of Emperor Wu bet365 bonus code louisiana Han Dynasty to ride a Pegasus towards the world of gods；The Sasanian Persian silver plate shows an image of a king on horseback hunting with his bow using the "Satia Shot"，Exactly the same image of Li Guang looking back and shooting arrows in the portrait brick unearthed from the northwest border。The use of horse as a classic symbolic pattern，It is the synaesthesia of ancient Eurasian countries，There is also mutual influence and imitation of artistic expression methods。

In the hierarchical cultural system bet365 bonus code louisiana ancient world，As a "thing", the horse provides power，It has also become the best symbol to identify one’s identity。The King of Huns selected and cultivated a huge cavalry team of four solid colors using the colors bet365 bonus code louisiana four directions，Once made Han Emperor Liu Bang panicked；Erzhurong is based on valleys，Breed horses of different colors，To show off the power of his cavalry；In the etiquette culture bet365 bonus code louisiana Central Plains Dynasty，Classification of horses、Saddle decoration、Materials of harnesses and other matters became court regulations to distinguish between high and low status。Extraordinary image、Horses with beautiful coats and their hierarchical decorative harnesses became the establishment of social order、Maintenance、One bet365 bonus code louisiana elements of symbolism，In different regions、Regional characteristic symbols in different civilizations，Echoes the legal system recorded in "Yu Fu Zhi" and other texts，Identify the corresponding era sequence。

　　The bet365 bonus code louisiana lion traveling through the time and space of ancient Europe and Asia

In the ancient civilization system，Strict hierarchy is one bet365 bonus code louisiana important prerequisites for establishing social order，Emperor、Honorable Honor、General、Officials、Civilian、Servants, etc.，In Politics、Military and social life must be well distinguished，Thus the house bet365 bonus code louisiana ruling class、Cheyu、Clothing、Color、A visual hierarchical identification system such as images is essential。Among them，The lion image that once served as a symbol of kings on the western section bet365 bonus code louisiana Silk Road，The changes that occurred during its spread to China，is a good example of how we understand the migration of civilizations。

In the civilization system centered on ancient South Asian India and West Asian Persia，The lion is the symbol bet365 bonus code louisiana king，Not only the king’s palace seats are often decorated with lions，And the king is also called a lion，Descriptions bet365 bonus code louisiana Sakyamuni family and the image of their kings in classics such as Buddhist scriptures，Always named with words such as "Lion King" and "Lion Cheeks"。The grand and intense lion hunting scene，From ancient Egypt、Kings from Assyria to Persia created classic images bet365 bonus code louisiana sanctity of their royal power and personal prowess。

This kind of civilization system that uses lions to create a sacred king，It spread from West Asia to Central Asia and even the northwest region of ancient China。From West Asia to Central Asia，Leo is frequently used as the throne bet365 bonus code louisiana king。In the records of ancient Chinese books，Kings whose royal power is represented by Leo or the lion include the Indian King of Magadha、King of Gandhara、King Nibala，The king of Europe and Asia、King of Persia，King Qiuci and King Shule in today’s Xinjiang region，King Tuyuhun and others in the present-day Hexi area east of Yumen Pass。But，After all, this kind of cultural target did not penetrate the powerful filter bet365 bonus code louisiana ancient Chinese cultural system，The lion is a symbol of civilization that symbolizes the king，When you reach the northwest border, you will be at the end of a powerful crossbow。

In the records of "Zhou Li"，There is a cross dragon above the king's nine flags、Xionghu、Falcon、The images of turtles and snakes serve as symbols of different levels of state and military affairs。Lion as an alien species，Their images only appear in the military's force symbol system as images of auspicious or ferocious beasts，The earliest time was in the Northern Zhou Dynasty，This is obviously caused by the long-term exposure bet365 bonus code louisiana area where the Northern Zhou Dynasty was located to the cultural influence bet365 bonus code louisiana Hu people in the Western Regions。After Emperor Wu bet365 bonus code louisiana Northern Zhou Dynasty killed the powerful minister Yu Wenhu，Reorganize the army，I ordered all military flags to be painted with beasts、Image of a bird of prey，The palace guard warriors distinguish their legions by the different animal images on the swords they wear，There is a dragon ring knife、Feng Huan Dao、Lin Huan Dao、Lion Ring Knife、Elephant ring knife, etc.，This is an early record bet365 bonus code louisiana lion image appearing within the royal military system。In the Sui Dynasty，The legion marching to Liaodong used the lion flag、Green Falcon Flag、White beast flag to distinguish its legions。

The emperor bet365 bonus code louisiana Song Dynasty was traveling during a ceremony，Follow the flags bet365 bonus code louisiana armies to ward off evil、Rima、Diaohu、Red Leopard、Ruiying、Bai Ze、Lion、Rhino、Peacock and other images to represent different legions，And with the introduction of new species of exotic animals from the Western Regions and other places，Added golden parrot flag、Jade Rabbit Flag、Elephant flag。Obviously，These symbolic animal images are not just the animals bet365 bonus code louisiana Chinese Dynasty centered on the Central Plains，Not only includes the legendary animal dragon、phoenix、Lin、Warning against evil、Bai Ze et al，In addition, many exotic species from the Western Regions and other places have been introduced，Like a lion、White Elephant、Peacock、Parrot、Green Falcon、Rhino, etc.。

Accompanying the use of lion images in the symbolic system bet365 bonus code louisiana Central Plains Dynasty，Its use in the entire social system，The most dignified image retained，Just as an official office、Buddhist Temple、The guardian in front bet365 bonus code louisiana rich and powerful’s house，There is no such meaning as "king" in the Western Civilization System。Suitable for this，The most essential animal cultural background-the image bet365 bonus code louisiana ferocious grassland carnivore has also been auspicious，Gradually become naughty and cute。The most typical example，We can learn from the moment-to-moment images of lion fights captured by contemporary animal research scientists、Fighting images depicted on brocade by artists from the Western Regions in the Tang Dynasty，And its continuous evolution can be seen in the auspicious transformation of this kind of image after it spread to ancient Silla，Understand the trajectory of civilization migration contained in the flow of objects。

Obviously，This line carving of a lion fighting by a Tang Dynasty artist，Created based on observation of wild lions，The image bet365 bonus code louisiana lion is exactly the same as the moment of wild African lion fighting captured by zoologists today。The Silla stone lion, which obviously shows the same posture, is obviously just a copy bet365 bonus code louisiana same theme image，The charm has completely separated from the true nature bet365 bonus code louisiana species lion，The main focus is on imaginative auspiciousness。

It can be seen from this，Human creation contains more than just an economic form，It’s a way of life，A hierarchical order，A kind of civilized oath，A self-construction。Essentially speaking，Words and images are both objects created by human beings。Human blood group、Gender Identity、Civilization belonging、Social Identity、Legal status and other factors，All rely on a large number of objects to identify、Construction、Discrimination and self-satisfaction，Image plays an important role in this，Not only is it the most time-penetrating human creation besides words，It is also the most intuitive creation to understand the migration and changes of different civilizations bet365 bonus code louisiana long historical time and space。

(This article is a phased result bet365 bonus code louisiana National Social Science Fund key project "Research on Animal Communication and Civilization Exchange in the Han and Tang Dynasties" (18AZS005)

(Author’s unit: Department of bet365 bonus code louisiana, Ningbo University)