In various ancient books and ancient legends in China，The nj bet365 bird is regarded as the "king of the bird world" and "the leader of hundreds of birds" because of its auspicious meaning，As recorded in "Historical Records" "The nj bet365 Comes to Soar"，The world is wise and virtuous”，The nj bet365 is ​​the same as the Chinese "dragon" totem，Mysterious in history，It is a symbol of peace and prosperity。nj bet365 pattern in its various forms、Vivid and expressive styling、Strong decorative and rich cultural characteristics，It has become an important totem of the Chinese nation since ancient times，The decoration can be found everywhere in Chinese art patterns。Especially during the Sui and Tang Dynasties，nj bet365 pattern is widely used in silk fabrics、Gold and silverware、In cave temple murals and tomb murals。A gilt crown was unearthed from the Tubo period mural tomb in Wulanquangou, Qinghai, which was shortlisted for the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2019"，There is a nj bet365 bird decoration，So what is the difference between this pattern and the nj bet365 and bird patterns on other precious cultural relics seen at home and abroad？

Aloof and aloof: The 8th-century golden-crowned nj bet365 unearthed in Qinghai flutters its wings

　September 2018 to September 2019，Approved by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage，Archaeologists discovered a mural tomb in Xiligou Town, Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province，This is the first time a mural tomb from the Tubo period has been discovered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau，The age of this tomb is limited to 663 (the period of Tibetan occupation) to before the mid-8th century。There is a sealed secret compartment in this tomb，This has no precedent in the archaeological history of China and even the world。A gilt silver crown with a dragon, nj bet365 and lion pattern was found in a rectangular wooden box with a hidden compartment，The golden crown is decorated with symmetrical standing dragons on the front and back，And both sides are "decorated with a nj bet365 standing on a lotus seat"。

"Excavation Report of Quangou No. 1 Tomb in Wulan County, Qinghai" describes the nj bet365 pattern as: "The lotus base is inlaid with lotus petals in turquoise，Five bunches of honeysuckle branches and leaves grow around it，Three of them spread from the center and both sides to the surroundings of Li Feng，Buds forming at terminal edges。There are clusters of beaded flowers on the top of Lifeng's head and on the left and right wings，The center and petals are decorated with turquoise。Li Feng’s mouth contains flower branches，Spreading wings，The center of the body is decorated with a cluster of beads and flowers，Flower center inlaid round blue gemstone，Surrounded by a circle of ring and round turquoise。There is a petal-shaped hole at the left and right wingtips，Exposed silk lining。”

"The Briefing" only briefly introduces the overall style of the crown，No in-depth analysis of the modeling characteristics of Lifeng。According to the author’s careful observation，The standing nj bet365 is ​​located in the center of the left and right sides of the golden crown，its nj bet365 head、Double wings、The chicken feet are decorated with honeysuckle branches and leaves，In other words, the standing nj bet365 is ​​clustered with flowers。The standing nj bet365’s claws are tightly clasped on the upturned petal-shaped lotus seat，The roots of his legs are almost touching the body，Bend your knees in a half-squat position，Like "<”shape。Li Feng’s wings are fully opened，Raise upward，It feels as if you are immediately flapping your wings and flying。The nj bet365 crown is composed of five turquoise petals，The barbed nj bet365 beak resembles an eagle's beak，Holding a flower branch，The feathers on the back of the neck are curling like waves，The nj bet365 eyes look cold and arrogant，nj bet365 Head、The nj bet365 neck and right wing form an "S" shape with a larger top and a smaller bottom，The cluster of beaded flowers on Lifeng’s body consists of 14 turquoises in the outer ring、The small strip of turquoise in the inner circle and the sapphire in the center are composed of three layers。The details of the standing phoenixes on both sides are also different。For example, the angle of knee bend、The shape of the nj bet365 head。View the entire crown surface with nj bet365 pattern，The decoration is both rich and noble、Unique，Another concentrated reflection of multiculturalism、Mutual learning and integration of multiple civilizations。

　Dance for a Thousand Years: The evolution of nj bet365 and bird patterns in the Sui and Tang Dynasties is revealed in Dunhuang murals

On the murals of various periods in Dunhuang，Especially the various Sutra paintings of Mogao Grottoes during the Sui and Tang Dynasties、Clothing patterns、The caisson pattern on the top of the cave and the edging pattern of the niche lintel，nj bet365 and bird patterns are even more common。We can classify it as Sui Dynasty、Early Tang Dynasty、Prosperous Tang Dynasty、Zhongtang、Five periods including the late Tang Dynasty，Through the standing nj bet365 on the edge pattern of Cave 71 of Mogao Grottoes、The standing nj bet365 on the top of the lantern tree in Cave 220 and the nj bet365 head with the standing nj bet365 pattern on the south side of the heavenly palace wall on the west niche roof of Cave 321、nj bet365 neck、nj bet365 wings、nj bet365 tail analogy analysis study，We can judge these three nj bet365 and bird patterns as patterns from the early Tang Dynasty。

We found through comparison，The nj bet365 and bird patterns in Dunhuang murals from the early Tang Dynasty are all vivid and vivid、Stretch your chest, raise your head and be confident，It seems to symbolize the coming of a powerful dynasty。The characteristic of the nj bet365 bird is that "the head of the nj bet365 is ​​slightly lower than the height of the wings and tail，The wings behind the crest are slightly higher than the wings in front of the crest，The tail feathers of the nj bet365 bird form the highest point of the overall nj bet365 bird pattern”。In addition，The head and tail curves of the nj bet365 bird can be summarized as a "zig" shape，Compared with the nj bet365 bird pattern of the Sui Dynasty，The posture of the bird's body appears more rounded，The wings can form a "circle"。

At the same time，In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the main shape of the nj bet365 bird pattern and nj bet365 head was the chicken head and beak，The overall style is heroic，Lifelike。The nj bet365 head pattern can be divided into three categories，Crown erect、Smooth crest、Vertical and horizontal functions，Among them, the main expression is the erect feather crest，The nj bet365 bird pattern on the top and bottom of the nj bet365 neck is similar in thickness，The nj bet365 head is usually in the state of erect feather crest；The nj bet365 neck has a nj bet365 pattern that is thin at the top and thick at the bottom，The nj bet365 head is a state where the feather crest is both gentle and vertical。

Comparison with samples of nj bet365 and bird patterns in various periods can be seen，In Dunhuang murals, the wings of nj bet365 birds in the early Tang Dynasty mostly show symmetrical expansion；In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, in addition to the side wing shape of the nj bet365 bird，The rest also spread their wings symmetrically；In the mid-Tang Dynasty, the wings of nj bet365 birds were mostly in side style；The wings of nj bet365 birds in the late Tang Dynasty are similar to those in the early Tang Dynasty，Mostly symmetrical expansions。The tail shapes of the nj bet365 and bird patterns in Dunhuang murals during the Sui and Tang Dynasties are very rich，Elegant posture，Very beautiful。Its general shape can be divided into two types，The first type is parallel arrangement，The second type is the overall upward trend。

After repeated observation，The author discovered that the 8th century golden crown and standing nj bet365 pattern unearthed in Qinghai and the 71st building built in the early Tang Dynasty、220、The three nj bet365 and bird patterns in Cave 321 are similar，Especially very similar to the nj bet365 and bird pattern on the edge of Cave 71 of Mogao Grottoes。Comparing the two，The two nj bet365 birds are both standing phoenixes，Smooth crest，Double wings symmetrically deployed，Almost forms a circle，The shape of the nj bet365 head is not a "chicken head and beak"，The author thinks that a chicken head and an eagle beak is more appropriate，There are flower branches in the mouth，The tail feathers rise as a whole。The slight difference is that the golden-crowned nj bet365 has its legs bent in a half-squat position，As if flapping its wings to fly，The nj bet365 bird in Cave 71 has its legs upright，One after the other，Lean forward slightly，Seems like walking，At the same time, his chest protrudes forward like a curved bow，But the chest of the golden-crowned nj bet365 bird is somewhat restrained，Not such an exaggeration。The similar shape of the nj bet365 bird's breasts protruding forward like a curved bow can be confirmed on the gold ornaments collected overseas。

　With head held high and chest raised: the nj bet365 bird with gold and silver ornaments hidden overseas is full of tension

At the "Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Road - Art Treasures of the Tubo Period" exhibition held at the Dunhuang Academy in 2019, there are two gilt silver ornaments with nj bet365 patterns from the Tubo period (608-866)，The two cultural relics are 45 cm long，Width 35cm，Collected by Pritzker, Chicago, USA。The curator’s description of these two cultural relics is: “The components of the nj bet365 include three-lobed crown feathers、curled tail feathers，And usually the most prominent part - the snake scale feathers on the neck。Each nj bet365 stands on a lotus，The overall shape is roughly oval。”

The author thinks，These two pieces of nj bet365 and bird patterns are slightly different in details，But overall consistent。In one piece, the wings of a nj bet365 bird stretch from the lotus seat where it is standing to the nj bet365's head and neck，Almost in a circle，Both tension and fullness，What is particularly exaggerated is that the chest and abdomen of the nj bet365 bird are protruding in front，The arc is like a curved bow，Legs straight and straight，Double claws clasp，Four neck feathers fluttering backward，The flower branches that replaced the tail feathers are blooming behind them，The whole nj bet365 bird is tall and majestic，A group of fierce and arrogant men and women。

Except for the Tibetan nj bet365 Bird and the Golden-crowned nj bet365 Bird overseas, they both stand on the lotus，Except for the similarities seen with the naked eye, the wings are spread out in a circle，After careful identification, the author also discovered that the feathers on the neck of the golden-crowned nj bet365 are also snake-scale-like。The nj bet365 bird in Cave 71 of Mogao Grottoes is too small，The copy failed to capture the details of the neck feathers，It is unknown whether the neck also has snake scale feathers。The author was collecting information on the nj bet365 pattern with the scaly characteristics of feathered snakes on the neck，Discovered a gilt piece of nj bet365 and bird pattern collected by the Textile Research Center of the Aberg Foundation in Switzerland，The neck of the nj bet365 bird also has snake-like scale feathers。At the same time，A set of golden nj bet365 bird ornaments unearthed from the Guojia Tang Tomb in Xi'an City in 1971. The neck of the nj bet365 bird also has snake scale feathers。Then this explains，The scaly neck feathers of the nj bet365 bird are Tang、Common features of images of nj bet365 birds such as Tubo。

Compared with overseas Tibetan-style nj bet365 gilt silver ornaments and Wulanquangou gold-crowned nj bet365 bird pattern，A set of golden nj bet365 ornaments unearthed from the Guojia Tang Tomb in Xi'an City, which is stored in the Xi'an Museum, shows the typical image of the nj bet365 in the Tang Dynasty，The wings are short and light and upward，The lines of the long tail are exquisite and vivid，Showing the nj bet365 singing and dancing、Busy attitude。Comparing the three，We see that although the snake scales on the neck and chest of the ornaments have been reflected on the nj bet365 of the Tang Dynasty，The difference is，These parts of Overseas Tibet and Golden Crown nj bet365 are separated from other parts by deep grooves，Form an independent bas-relief three-dimensional structure，To emphasize it。The upper part of the wings and tail are also made into a three-dimensional effect，To highlight details。Claw、The eagle's beak and wide wings are both characteristics of a fighter。The golden nj bet365 bird of the Tang Dynasty shows the elegant, gorgeous and gorgeous aesthetics of the aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty，So compared to that，The aesthetics of the Tubo royal family tend to be gorgeous, plump and strong，So the Tubo-style nj bet365 has a strong and plump body，Strong and powerful wings，Closer to the image of a raptor。

On Pritzker’s collection of gilded silver nj bet365 pieces，The editor of "Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Road - Art Treasures of the Tubo Period" has a very insightful interpretation。They think 7th-8th century，The image of the nj bet365 has been fully integrated into the visual language of Mahayana Buddhism，The image of the nj bet365 can be found in early paintings and temple murals from the Tang Dynasty and Japan’s Nara period。Because the nj bet365 is ​​associated with the Buddha's heaven and his abode in heaven，The image of the nj bet365 is ​​therefore often associated with people's rebirth in heaven and the concept of the afterlife。The nj bet365 on these two cultural relics stands on a blooming lotus，It is the emphasis on this connection。In Chinese and Japanese culture，This magical bird has further developed new meanings，The nj bet365 is ​​usually associated with the queen，Symbolizes the power of the queen and a well-governed country。Therefore，nj bet365 is ​​used as a symbolic pattern on crowns and other ritual vessels and on the tombs of female nobles。In the Sasanian and Sogdian traditions，This sacred bird is also used as a symbol of royal power。

　Stepping on the lotus: the nj bet365 bird integrates multiple cultures under the Buddhist image

Comparison between the golden-crowned nj bet365 pattern of the 8th century Wulan, Qinghai and all types of nj bet365 seen in the Sui and Tang Dynasties，It is closest and similar to the nj bet365 bird pattern seen in Mogao Grottoes in the early Tang Dynasty，At the same time, similar to the nj bet365 and bird pattern in the Mogao Grottoes of the early Tang Dynasty, there is also a nj bet365 pattern gilt silver plaque collected by the Pritzker in Chicago, USA，Their common feature is the chicken head and eagle beak，Smooth crest，Standing on the lotus，Double wings symmetrically deployed，Almost forms a circle。Honeysuckle、Lotus、Tuanhua、Patterns such as twining branches and flowers appear simultaneously on the gilt silver plaques with nj bet365 pattern and the crown surface with Ulan gold crown and nj bet365 pattern in the Pritzker collection，These decorative elements are closely related to Buddhism。

Since the opening of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty，Honeysuckle pattern、Lotus Pattern、Pomegranate patterns and other foreign patterns were spread to Dunhuang via the Western Regions，Enter the Central Plains again。So the dragon and nj bet365 patterns at this time began to resemble the lotus、Lonicera and other patterns are combined to form a picture，This is reflected in the Dunhuang murals。For example, the earliest decorative part with the nj bet365 bird pattern is the nj bet365 head niche beam behind the Buddha statue in Cave 254 of the Northern Wei Dynasty，The nj bet365 canopy in the Dharma painting of Cave 249 of the Western Wei Dynasty，nj bet365 bird, lotus, honeysuckle pattern herringbone shawl in Cave 285, etc.，Both have a strong religious atmosphere。

As everyone knows，The lotus is the symbol of the birth of Buddha，Also became the main symbol of Buddhism，Represents "Pure Land"，Symbolizes "purity"，Meaning "auspiciousness"，And became the main decorative theme in Buddhist art。Stepping on lotus，The earliest record is in "Southern History·Qi Benji·Deposed Emperor Donghunhou": "(Donghunhou) also carved gold into lotus flowers to cover the ground，Let Concubine Pan go ahead，Said: ‘This is how lotus flowers are born step by step。’” on a Southern Dynasties portrait brick unearthed from the Southern Dynasties portrait brick tomb M109 in Xiaohengshan, Yuhang, Zhejiang，We saw the image of a nj bet365 stepping on a lotus。

The author found the same nj bet365 bird on two pieces of "nj bet365 Stepping Pattern Embroidery" from the Tang Dynasty collected by Shosoin in Japan and the Tokyo National Museum in Japan，Two nj bet365 birds stand on the lotus pedestal，Shengsangyuan Lifeng stands upright on his feet，The standing nj bet365 of the National Museum stands on one foot，The other branch is raised and contracted，Seems like taking a step。The biggest feature of these two standing phoenixes is their huge tail feathers，Like a crescent moon hanging high，It is extremely inconsistent with the thin body。And honeysuckle is evergreen because of its twining branches and leaves、Experience severe cold without withering、Survive the winter without dying，Used extensively in Buddhist art，Compared to the immortality of the human soul、Reincarnation and Eternal Life。Compared with the Chinese and Western pattern of bird stepping on the flower bed with Tuanqi pattern，The form of birds stepping on flowers blends Buddhist imagery，Present a more natural beauty of form，And comes from Central Asia、The couplet bead pattern of Sasanian Persia also appears in the nj bet365 and bird patterns，The nj bet365 tattoo of the Tang Dynasty reflects the artistic characteristics of mutual learning and blending of multiple cultures and civilizations。

(This article is a phased result of the National Social Science Fund Western Project "Integration and Mutual Learning - New Insights into the Research on the Cultural Relics Unearthed in Tubo (Tuyuhun)" (22XKG-005)

(The author is the director of Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum、Research Librarian)