Window, also known as window in ancient times, is very active in Chinese architectural culture. It is an important architectural component with unique cultural connotation and aesthetic charm. When did windows first appear? In view of the preface of "Leaking the Window": "There is not enough information about the origin and evolution of windows to properly introduce it to the world. According to the Han Ming tile house unearthed in Changsha, there is an example of a narrow and high small window in the wall." At least it can prove that windows appeared in the Han Dynasty in my country. In fact, as an important component of Chinese architecture, windows used for ventilation, lighting and overlooking the outside have their origins far earlier than the Han Dynasty. It is certain that windows were invented with the origin of architecture and developed with the development of architecture.
1. The origin of windows
The origin of my country’s traditional window decoration art can be traced back to the primitive cave dwelling and semi-cave dwelling times. According to research, the ancestors at that time lived in a kind of "bag-shaped vertical cave" whose upper part was covered with a roof made of branches and weeds. This movable roof was the prototype of the roof. In order to facilitate people's access, ventilation and lighting, a gap is left on one side of the top cover, which has the dual functions of door and window. When semi-cave dwellings evolved into primitive ground-based buildings, the building envelope was also divided into two parts: walls and roofs, so holes fixed on the roof appeared for ventilation, smoke exhaust and lighting, which were called "chimneys" in ancient times. The original style of this kind of window was maintained until the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
The chimney meets the basic requirements for ventilation, smoke exhaust and lighting of the house, but it is difficult to solve the invasion of rain and snow. The form of the double-slope roof truss allows the openings for smoke exhaust and lighting to be placed on the top of the mountain. This structure was also called a "furnace" in ancient times: the emergence of the roof solved the waterproofing problem of the house to a large extent, reflecting the ancient times. Advances in building ventilation technology.
"The chimney is in the house, and the windows are in the wall." It can be seen that the main difference between "chimney" and "牖" is that the former is located on the roof and the latter is located on the wall. Over the long years, chimneys gradually evolved into skylights and chimneys; awnings also developed into forms such as ventilation windows under the eaves and horizontal drapes.
In order to expand the ventilation and lighting area, the ventilation windows on the wall are getting larger and larger, and the number is also increasing. When larger lighting vents appear on one side of the door or on both sides and three sides of the door, the real meaning is The window above was created. In many ancient documents, "window" and "window" are connected, but some professionals believe that "window" is a smaller window opening, and slightly larger windows such as sill windows and mullion windows are called "windows".
2 The development and evolution of windows
Han and Tang Dynasties - the development period of windows
The earliest physical form of window decorations in my country can be seen in the execution of slaves in the Western Zhou Dynasty The first clues are beginning to appear in the gatekeeper Lizhong. There is a double door in front of the door, and cross-lattice windows are designed on the other three sides. Looking at the newly unearthed Jile Copper House of the Warring States Period, there are floor-to-ceiling lattice windows on both sides and cross lattice windows at the rear. The shape is simple and the space is very unobstructed.
According to historical records, the shape of windows in the Han Dynasty was very complete, which can be seen from the Ming vessels unearthed in the Han Dynasty. The window decorations of houses in the Han Dynasty were generally located on one or both sides of the door, and some even had horizontal windows on the upper part of the door, which should be the predecessor of "lightning windows" and "horizontal windows". The shapes of windows include rectangular, square, round, etc., and the window lattice styles are mainly oblique squares, as well as straight lattice, horizontal lattice, mesh pattern, lock pattern, etc. Most of the windows in the Han Dynasty were installed in the wall, some with pet-shaped latticework, and some with lattice windows installed on the outer wall. In ancient literature, they were called "cross windows", which were a form of "wind windows" installed outside the cave. In the Han Dynasty, curtains were often placed in front of indoor windows, which were the predecessors of curtains.
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, rows of mullioned windows appeared on the walls of houses in the Northern and Eastern Wei Dynasties, and there were many mullioned windows on the walls of houses to hang curtains and tents. The houses in the Tang Dynasty were large in space, and the area of ??windows also increased accordingly, and they had opening and closing functions, which greatly improved indoor ventilation and lighting conditions. The residences of this period followed the legacy of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, with four corridors connecting the houses to complex courtyards. The four corridors were equipped with continuous mullioned windows. This was obviously the continuation and development of the styles of the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Straight-lattice windows were popular in the Tang Dynasty, and straight-lattice windows also include broken sub-lattice windows and plate-lattice windows: those with a triangular cross-section are called broken-lattice windows; those with a rectangular cross-section are called par-lattice windows. Straight mullioned windows mostly have an odd number of lattice bars. When the lattice bars are too long, strings of supporting lattice bars are added in the middle. The famous Jintang door and floor windows of Tangnan Zhaoti Temple in Shanxi still have a similar charm to this.
The window decorations of this period also included window lattice with complex patterns such as turtle brocade pattern and ball pattern.
Song, Liao and Jin Dynasty - the mature period of windows
From the Song Dynasty to the Liao and Jin Dynasties, mullioned windows were still common. The famous architectural book "Building French Style" of the Song Dynasty records four window styles: broken lattice windows, plate lattice windows, electric windows and sill hook windows. These should be the more representative window decoration shapes at that time. The handicraft industry was developed in the Song Dynasty, and the wooden frame buildings in the Northern Song Dynasty made great progress based on the Tang and Five Dynasties. In the decoration, a large number of structures such as long windows and openable partitions (lattice doors) and sills are used. Window decorations with rich and varied lattice shapes not only add color to the building facade, but also further improve indoor ventilation and lighting.
It has the characteristics of ancient architecture.
The electric windows are mostly located under the columns, and were called "lightning windows" in the Sui Dynasty. Its curved lattice lines are arranged horizontally, like rippling water, with flickering light and shadow, which is full of rhythmic beauty. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, this window was popular in large-scale palace decoration in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Perhaps the production of this window was too labor-intensive and material-intensive, so it was rarely seen after the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.
The sill window is a window style similar to the partition fan, except that the corresponding position of the partition skirt is changed to the sill wall, and in the south it evolves into a removable "skirt". The skirt and partitions are removed at the same time, and the indoor and outdoor spaces can be separated into an open hall. The sill window lattice core and the partition sash lattice core are decorated with the same craftsmanship and form to form a unified and coordinated building facade decoration style. Sill windows existed before the Song and Yuan Dynasties. During the Song Dynasty, they developed into sill hook windows, which were composite windows with a sill window inside and a sill outside. In Song Dynasty paintings, it is also common to see the sill hooked window composed of a sill window and a backrest railing in waterfront halls. After the window is opened, one can sit on the railing to enjoy the scenery. This kind of elegant window decoration can still be seen in ancient Ming and Qing houses in Jiangnan, Suzhou, Changshu, Wuyuan and Shexian.
The widespread application of lattice doors in the Song Dynasty led to the corresponding development of horizontal window decorations (horizontal wind windows). Horizontal windows generally install a number of columns between the upper and middle sills, divide the facade into several sections, and make small windows in each section. The horizontal draping in the Jiangnan area also has the practice of unsteady pillars. The horizontal draped windows of the Jin Dynasty Amitabha Hall of Chongfu Temple in Shanxi Province have gorgeous ancient coin patterns and triangular patterns on the window lattice, echoing the partition style, forming a perfect facade decoration style. The horizontal draped window of the lattice door of the Guanyin Hall of Kaiyuan Temple in Yixian County, Hebei Province is also a masterpiece of window decoration art from the same generation. During this period, the craftsmanship of small wooden crafts was exquisite and proficient, the craftsmanship was precise and precise, the lattice patterns were rich in variety, and the design arrangements were clear and appropriate.
The Ming and Qing Dynasties - the glorious era of windows
Broken lattice windows have become increasingly rare in Ming Dynasty houses, but they are common in gardens and have evolved into many variations. The windows commonly used in the main buildings of warehouses in the Qing Dynasty have been transformed into the "one yard and three arrows" style. Sill windows and support windows became the mainstream in this period. The topography of the branch windows in the north and south is different. In the north, the branch windows are first placed in the middle column of the sill wall to divide the facade into two halves. Each half is divided into two equal upper and lower sections for windows. The upper section of the window can be supported. , to facilitate air circulation, and the lower section can also be removed. The vertical side of the southern branch is also called a combined window. 2 or 3 intercolumns are often added to the bay. The facade is then divided into 3-4 sections from the longitudinal direction, and the upper and lower sections are divided into two sections, with the top being longer and the bottom being shorter. This window is tightly closed in winter and can be removed in summer to make the room ventilated and cool. There are many decorative themes for the window cores of branched windows. The lantern frame and step-by-step brocade are the most commonly used ones. In addition, there are many types such as pan-length brocade, turtle-back brocade, and swastika. The center of the grid is mostly papered to avoid wind and sand and maintain privacy. In modern times, it evolved into the form of papering the upper section of the window and removing the window to install glass in the lower section. Picture decorations are also found on the sash windows of residential houses in Datong, Shanxi. The contents of the pictures include flowers, landscapes, insects, fish, birds, animals, characters and stories, etc. Every Spring Festival, every family will put new window paintings on the side windows. The window paintings match the Spring Festival couplets on the eaves on both sides, and further highlight the joy of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. It is also popular among people in Shanxi, northern Shaanxi, Hebei and other places to paste paper-cuts, either red or colored, on the lower part of the windows, which is full of local folk characteristics.
Garden architecture developed unprecedentedly during the Ming and Qing Dynasties: the corridors and exterior walls of northern gardens were often dotted with small windows of rich shapes around Dongting Lake.
The window decorations include pomegranates, peaches, fans, squares, pentagons, hexagons, and plum blossoms...
These sparse and changeable window openings on the whitewashed walls are lively and transparent, and become a perfect backdrop against the backdrop of the lakes and mountains. A beautiful landscape. Politicians in the late Qing Dynasty installed glass inside and outside window openings to view lights at night and view during the day.
It is quite popular in gardens in the south, especially those in Suzhou and Hangzhou, to open window holes in corridors and exterior walls. The book "Garden Governance" written by Ji Cheng in the Ming Dynasty called them leaky windows. Window lattice is often made of thin bricks and tiles, there are also gorgeous styles with green square stained glass inlaid in the window, and there are also windows made of iron or iron iron plaster and plant patterns to decorate the window center. The form and beauty Breathtaking. The beauty of a light-emitting window is that you can view it from both inside and outside, and the landscapes are different. Often it makes your heart beat when you look at it from the front, but it becomes even more interesting when you look back. The windows in Suzhou gardens are even more amazing. The windows are graceful in shape and use the best of nature. They are also decorated with unique stone greening, extraordinary stones, green trees, banana bananas, and green bamboos. The pole embellishes all kinds of charms within a short distance. This shows the wisdom and exquisite aesthetic orientation of ancient Chinese craftsmen.
After thousands of years of development and deposition, traditional Chinese window decorations have evolved into ever-changing styles. The sliding window, also known as the wind window, is a common one among the people today: it has two layers on the inside, and the outer layer is propped up during the day and put down at night. In addition to keeping out the cold and wind, it also has the function of preventing theft. "Fantianyin" is a square window that can be flipped up and down. Manchurian windows are common in Guangzhou. Its nine windows are arranged like a nine-square grid. Each window is pushed up and down. It has flexible permeability and can adapt to the sultry weather in the south. Floor windows, in the shape of square mullions, are installed to promote ventilation of the upper and lower floors.
The window decorations of ethnic minority houses have their own characteristics: the "big house" of the Yilong folk house in Yunnan has a cavity outside the peak of the house to exhaust smoke, which is similar to the original half-sloped window; the windows of Tibetan folk houses Small in size, its window decorations are simple in shape and bright in color in order to withstand the cold wind and strong sunlight on the plateau. There is a "sky hole" in the center of the top of the yurt, which is equivalent to a skylight. It is used for ventilation and light during the day and is lowered at night to keep out the wind and cold. It is quite a legacy of the original "chimney".
3 Summary
my country’s ancient architectural window decorations have particularly cultural connotations and aesthetic charm. They occupy a special historical position in the entire history of architectural development. They have exquisite workmanship and The beautiful and elegant artistic appearance reproduces the ancients' urgent pursuit and yearning for a happy life. The issue of the origin of windows has therefore attracted close attention from people in the industry. This article summarizes it based on historical data. To sum up, there are historical records that ancient windows originated from cave dwellings and semi-cave dwellings in the primitive era; the Han and Tang Dynasties were the development period of window decoration art, and new types such as horizontal draped windows and mullioned windows appeared, as well as reticulated and trivial patterns. and window lattice patterns such as ball patterns; the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties were the mature stages of the development of window decoration art, and various types such as sill hook windows, floor-length long hoods, and partition windows appeared; the Ming and Qing dynasties were the traditional window decorations in my country During the development period of decorative art, many types of window decorations with rich shapes appeared, such as branched windows and three-arrow windows. Since then, with the development of ancient Chinese crafts and technology, new content and forms have been added to the content and form of window decorations.