中国古代花卉审美概观--以《花史左编》为中心

An Overview of Aesthetics of Flowers in Ancient China--Centered on Left Compilation of the History of Flowers

《花史左编》是中国古代花卉文化的百科全书,也是我们考察中国古代花卉审美整体情形之典范文本。中国古代培育出对众花卉普遍、热烈、持久的审美热情,花卉审美乃中国古代自然审美的重要组成部分。中国古代花卉审美已然形成一个较完善的活动系统,有游赏与卧赏、独赏与群赏、专赏与会赏,以及戴赏等。其中,“护赏”,即对园林庭院中人工驯化、栽培的众花卉之欣赏乃基本形态。形、色与香是古人审美关注焦点,此三者构成古代花卉审美的核心。以花发“兴”,在赏花的同时体验和享受服饰之美、美人之态、酒食之乐,乃至于吟诗作画、载歌载舞,是中国古代花卉审美的主流方式。中国古代花卉审美已然臻至精致化层次,赏花者能够细腻地感知和描述众花卉的审美特性和价值,拓展出关于众花卉审美价值高低的层次性判断和关于众花卉审美个性区别的风格判断。“人花互喻”思维形式造成古代花卉审美中自然与人文二者间的内在冲突。立足当代环境美学和环境伦理学核心立场,我们需要对中国古代花卉审美传统进行深入反思。

Left Compilation of the History of Flowers is not only an encyclopedia of flower culture in ancient China, but also a classic work to examine the overall aesthetics of flowers in ancient China. The aesthetics of flowers cultivated in ancient China are prevailing, enthusiastic and enduring passionate, which are an important part of natural aesthetics in ancient China. The aesthetics of flowers in ancient China had already formed a relatively complete system, including touring or reclining appreciation, individual or group appreciation, special or gathering appreciation, as well as wearing appreciation. Among different means of appreciation, cultivation appreciation refers to appreciation of domesticated and cultivated flowers in the garden is the basic form of appreciation. Shape, color and scent are the three aesthetic focuses for the ancients, which are the core of ancient floral aesthetics. Meanwhile,ancient Chinese were accustomed to arousing “mood” with flowers. While appreciating flowers, they would also experience and enjoy the grace of clothing and beauties, pleasure of drinking and eating, thus getting inspired to write poems, make paintings, dance and sing. This was a mainstream mode of flower appreciation in ancient China. It also suggests that ancient Chinese flower appreciation had already been highly refined. The flower appreciators could delicately perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics and value of flowers, and expand the hierarchical judgment of the aesthetic value of flowers, and judgment of different aesthetic personalities. The “metaphony between human and flower” was a thinking attributable to the internal conflict between nature and humanity in the ancient flower appreciation. Based on the core stance of contemporary environmental aesthetics and environmental ethics, we should deeply reflect on the aesthetic traditions of flowers in ancient China.