古代彩塑壁画拨金工艺再认识——基于山西大同新发现清代拨金壁画的分析

A Discussion on Partial Gold Gilding Techniques for Ancient Colored Sculptures and Murals:A Case Study of Partial Gold Gilded Murals of Qing Qynasty in Datong

近期山西大同新发现几处清代寺观拨金壁画,结合拨金工艺在古代寺观彩塑表面的发现情况和山西省非遗项目拨金漆画的工艺流传,对拨金工艺的技法、渊源进行梳理。研究发现,拨金工艺不仅仅用于古代彩塑,还用于古代壁画的装饰。拨金工艺的特点主要是“布金于地,髹彩其上,以锥画之”,受漆器装饰锥金工艺的影响、糅合其他髹饰工艺而产生,宋代以来用于古代彩塑壁画的表面装饰。

Recent years have seen more in-depth and refined research on ancient coloured sculptures and murals,and partial gold gilding technique has been identified and discovered.Previous discoveries mainly focused on the techniques,materials and procedures of partial gilding on the surfaces of ancient coloured sculptures.Discoveries and studies of partial gold gilding of ancient murals were rare.This paper reviewed several partially gilded murals newly discovered in monasteries of Qing Dynasty,in Datong,Shanxi Province,and examined the techniques,materials and history of partial gold gilding based on these discoveries and the partial gilded lacquer painting technique which has been passed on as an intangible heritage of Shanxi.The newly discovered partially gold gilded murals have different themes,including the Dragon King,buddism godness Guanyin,the Three Great Emperor-Officials(Heavenly Official(天官,Tianguan),the Earthly Official(地官,Diguan)and the Water Official(水官,Shuiguan),and the underworld,and are located across widely spread areas.Each area chosen for this study contains the most important mural on the front central wall of a monastery.Moreover,partial gold gilding was always applied to the decorative patterns on the clothing of the main statue in the monastery,often on the shoulders,chest,abdomen,and hems.This showed that this technique is more advanced than average colour painting techniques.The gilded patterns are of the traditional types,including patterns of dragons,swirls,waves,“寿“,“7”,coins,and banana leaves.These findings significantly enriched our understandings of partial gold gilding technique and proved that partial gilding technique was used for decorating not only ancient coloured sculptures but also ancient murals.The main procedures of partial gold gilding technique are as follows.Firstly,we spread the gold foil on the surface of the statue or a wall;secondly,we apply coloured paint onto the foil;and thirdly,a needle is used to remove the paint to reveal the gold in desired patterns.As an innovative attempt to integrate multiple decorating techniques,the partial gilding technique was developed mainly under the influence of needle painting technique.Since the Song Dynasty,partial gold gilding technique has been used for decorating the surfaces of ancient coloured sculptures and murals following such procedures as sticking the gold foil onto the surface-applying colour paint-removing the paint with a needle to create the desired patterns.The craftsmen would adjust the way colour paint was applied based on the figures and decorative patterns of the mural.During different era in different regions,partial gold gilding skills would vary.As the result,partial gold gilded patterns had different qualities.In general,those craftsmen hired by the court had better skills.