著者

葛 承雍 市元 塁

雑誌

美術研究 = The bijutsu kenkyu : the journal of art studies

巻号頁・発行日

no.427, pp.1-14, 2019-03-28

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This paper presents an in-depth analysis of three Sui Dynasty camel figurines recently excavated at Xi'an, China. The so called Drunken Fulin motif, previously known only in historical anecdotes, is clearly depicted on the bags carried by these three camels. These images show the figure of Dionysus supported by two attendants, matching the traditional depiction of the god of wine in Greco-Roman mythology. The entire design consisted of an arcade, amphora-rhyton, ivy vining patterns with warrior figures with heads held high appearing next to these designs. All of these elements were new and stand as definite evidence of the introduction of the worship of the god of wine in ancient China, having spanned the tremendous distance from the classical Mediterranean region. Reference to the Greco-Roman and Byzantine art examples discovered in China in the past century further proves the unique route of the introduction and acceptance of these typical symbols of Hellenistic mythology in China, and it is hoped that this new archaeological study will further benefit scholars of the history of the cultural communication between China and the West via the Silk Road.