Stories about the expression of filial piety in Huizhou architectural carvings

The object of research is Huizhou architectural carving, the subject of research is the formation and development of Confucian and neo-Confucian subjects in carving. The source for the plots was the treatise "Twenty-four examples of filial piety" attributed to Confucius. The stories of the treatise reflect the respect and reverence of the ancients for their parents. The cult of Chinese ancestors with the obligatory birth of a boy, many children in the family, the amazing self-sacrifice of sons for the sake of the life and health of their parents, is expressed in the stories of the treatise. Many of them are based on real historical figures and events and are used to foster respect for elders. Using the example of Huizhui carving samples, the plots are shown: Leaving the service to find a mother, Collecting mulberries in different vessels, Sampling a medicinal decoction, Celebrating the birthday of an elderly family member, Qilin brings sons, the Phoenix bird brings sons. Research methods in the article: descriptive (describes the main Confucian themes in carving), typological and systematic method allowed us to identify the most important themes in the general system of Chinese carving, created to educate the morality of the people. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that there are no such studies in the special Russian-language literature, all sources are written in Chinese. For the first time, the artistic embodiment of Confucian subjects in Huizhou architectural carvings has been analyzed. A brief literary history is given, the key cultural meaning is indicated – the manifestation of filial piety in all its manifestations, the artistic features of the carving (composition, layout of the plans) are highlighted, and the symbolic interpretation of the depicted characters (birds, plants, trees) is also revealed. Woodcarving samples were also published for the first time – the window of the living room of the ancestral temple of the ancestors of the Hu family, Jixi County; the window of the living room of the Zhichengtang house, Lu village of Yi County (late XIX century). A sample of brick carving is presented by the 2017 work of master Wu Zhenghui, demonstrating the ancient method of "nine-layer openwork carving". The material of the article expands the possibility of learning Chinese culture and art, and, consequently, contributes to the establishment of stronger intercultural ties between Russia and China.

artistic carving of Huizhou, Confucian stories, filial piety, Canon of Filial Piety, Leaving service, Collecting mulberries, Sample of medicinal decoction, Celebrating the birthday, Qilin brings sons, Phoenix brings sons