The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes
Academic definitions of the Sanxingdui bronze mask with protruding eyes as a “mask” are limited. From design and semiotic perspectives, this study proposes its essence may be that of an independent, bodiless deity statue. Research indicates this deity statue employs “pointed ears and protruding eyes...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Comparative Literature: East & West |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/25723618.2025.2528422 |
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| author | Shan Chen Jingyi Chen |
| author_facet | Shan Chen Jingyi Chen |
| author_sort | Shan Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Academic definitions of the Sanxingdui bronze mask with protruding eyes as a “mask” are limited. From design and semiotic perspectives, this study proposes its essence may be that of an independent, bodiless deity statue. Research indicates this deity statue employs “pointed ears and protruding eyes” as its core symbols, constructing divine signifiers like the “geometric gaze” through surreal forms. The piece-molding technique and the “bronze face/clay-wooden body” materiality metaphorically represent the dialectical relationship between the “sacred and the profane.” It establishes a hierarchical structure of “top-middle-base levels” through its pictorial genealogy and spatial arrangement, while its bodiless form further intensifies the transcendence of divinity. Cross-civilizational comparisons reveal it breaks from traditional anthropomorphic expressions, forming a paradigm of “impersonal divinity.” In ritual practice, it forms a dual mechanism of “static ontology – dynamic medium” with wearable masks, jointly materializing the construction of theocratic beliefs. This study provides a new analytical dimension for research on divine expression in early civilizations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8fe6ae9ba1a44f0cb9d53b35f8f1cd7b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2572-3618 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comparative Literature: East & West |
| spelling | doaj-art-8fe6ae9ba1a44f0cb9d53b35f8f1cd7b2025-08-20T02:50:22ZengTaylor & Francis GroupComparative Literature: East & West2572-36182025-01-0191153010.1080/25723618.2025.2528422The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding EyesShan Chen0Jingyi Chen1College of Fashion and Design Art, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Fashion and Design Art, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, ChinaAcademic definitions of the Sanxingdui bronze mask with protruding eyes as a “mask” are limited. From design and semiotic perspectives, this study proposes its essence may be that of an independent, bodiless deity statue. Research indicates this deity statue employs “pointed ears and protruding eyes” as its core symbols, constructing divine signifiers like the “geometric gaze” through surreal forms. The piece-molding technique and the “bronze face/clay-wooden body” materiality metaphorically represent the dialectical relationship between the “sacred and the profane.” It establishes a hierarchical structure of “top-middle-base levels” through its pictorial genealogy and spatial arrangement, while its bodiless form further intensifies the transcendence of divinity. Cross-civilizational comparisons reveal it breaks from traditional anthropomorphic expressions, forming a paradigm of “impersonal divinity.” In ritual practice, it forms a dual mechanism of “static ontology – dynamic medium” with wearable masks, jointly materializing the construction of theocratic beliefs. This study provides a new analytical dimension for research on divine expression in early civilizations.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/25723618.2025.2528422Sanxingduibronze mask with protruding eyesbodiless designimpersonal divinitysymbolic genealogy三星堆;青铜纵目面具;无躯体设计;非人格化神性;符号谱系 |
| spellingShingle | Shan Chen Jingyi Chen The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes Comparative Literature: East & West Sanxingdui bronze mask with protruding eyes bodiless design impersonal divinity symbolic genealogy 三星堆;青铜纵目面具;无躯体设计;非人格化神性;符号谱系 |
| title | The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes |
| title_full | The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes |
| title_fullStr | The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes |
| title_short | The Visual Formation and Theocratic Narrative of the Sanxingdui Bronze Deity Statue with Protruding Eyes |
| title_sort | visual formation and theocratic narrative of the sanxingdui bronze deity statue with protruding eyes |
| topic | Sanxingdui bronze mask with protruding eyes bodiless design impersonal divinity symbolic genealogy 三星堆;青铜纵目面具;无躯体设计;非人格化神性;符号谱系 |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/25723618.2025.2528422 |
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