Large Nuo Map Axis

[Da Nuo Painting Axis]

Da Nuo Painting Axis, Song Dynasty, unknown, silk, colored, 67.4 cm vertically and 59.2 cm horizontally
There are twelve people in this picture. They all wore strange clothes, hats and flowers. The styles of hats are not repeated. In addition to bamboo hats, scarves and crowns, some are animal heads with thick horns, and some are farm implements such as buckets, baskets and dustpans. They carry drums, bells, sandalwood and other musical instruments in their hands or on their bodies, or for fans, baskets, brooms and other appliances, or for flowers and melons. Everyone wore makeup on their faces, which may be masks. Twelve people surrounded, dancing and full of joy. The old title “The Great Nuo Painting”
The painting describing folk customs and habits was especially developed in the Song Dynasty. The axis of the “Great Nuo Painting” is a folk painting. Nuo (Nuo) is an ancient folk custom to dispel plague. The Analects of Confucius has the record of “exorcising of local people”. The Book of the Later Han Dynasty records: “On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the great Nuo ceremony selected the children of Huangmen, who were over ten years old and under twelve years old, as Nuo sons.” The Tang Dynasty’s “Miscellaneous Records of Yuefu” describes: “The four faces, the crown and mask, the gold for four eyes, the bear fur, the Goyang shield, the mouth as the voice of Nuo, like the removal of Nuo. The Nuo sons are five hundred, the children are for it, the red pleats and the green jacket, the mask, the Nuo in front of the Zichen Palace on the dark day, and the Zhang Palace is hanging with music.” These descriptions are basically similar to the picture. Of course, in the Song Dynasty, there will be many changes in the specific situation and details of Nuo. From the picture, many farm tools were added. It can be seen that this ancient custom in the Song Dynasty was not only to dispel evil spirits, but also to pray for a good harvest. It was also a kind of folk entertainment. So this painting, from art to content, is worth cherishing.