莆田地区道教神像雕刻艺术初探

A Probe into the Taoist Statuary in Putian Region

莆田地区的宗教信仰蓬勃发展,而当地的神像雕刻工艺普及,民间艺人辈出,其中的道教神像雕刻不啻是一项珍贵的艺术品。文章拟从道教神像信仰的源流、题材内容、艺术审美方面展开论述,分析神像雕刻匠师的创作手法和审美理念,及具有地域特色神像雕刻的艺术美学,由道教信仰所产生的神像雕刻所代表的历史意义。

Along with the boom of religious beliefs has come the popularization of the local statue carving craft and the emergence of numerous folk artists, of which the Taoist statuary is nothing less than a precious work of art. This paper attempts to discuss and analyze the creative approach and aesthetic philosophy of religious statuary craftsmen in terms of the origin, the subject matter, the content, and the artistic aesthetics of the Taoist statue belief. Moreover, the paper also touches upon the art aesthetics of statue carving with regional features and the historical significance symbolized by statute carving resulting from Taoist belief.