CONFUCIAN VALUES PRESENTED IN DEPICTIONS OF BIRDS ON CHINESE TEXTILES

from the Qing Dynasty period (1644–1912)

Abstract

Birds have always fascinated people because of their ability to fly, their melodic singing and unusual appearance. It is therefore understandable that their depictions became vehicles for specific symbols. They were particularly significant in China, gaining the status of divine envoys or heralds of auspicious events. Birds were considered noble, bird couples were seen as spouses, their nests as homes and their territories as property in allusion to the world of humans, who also fight for social positions, for partners or to keep control of specific regions. In Confucianism, however, this symbolism was not initially so obvious, especially because Confucius himself focused on people and society and barely dedicated any attention to animals. […]