Pillows have a long history. After have appeared, it has become one of beddings for daily life. According archaeological data, the dead body was buried lying with it's head pillowed on stones at the Old Stone Age in France; and in our country, pillows had been unearthed at the Warring States, and it has been recorded in historical documents of early Qin period. Along with the passage of time and the progress in civilization, shapes of pillows are more and more. Because of the difference of nationalities, cultures, customs, climates etc, they have different shapes. From quality of material, pillows are made of silk, china, wood, bamboo, stone, cooper, sliver, and so on. Sliver and wood pillows are used as implements that are buried with dead. The embroidery on pillow sides (one of decorate patterns of pillows) is often seen on rectangle pillows in those that were made of different materials. The embroidery on pillow sides, namely, is the patterns are decorated on both sides of pillows. Pillows are used in Chi na usually are made in rectangle pillar or hexahedron, so the both sides are square which embroidered all kinds patterns, that is "embroidery on pillow sides". Because each pillow has two sides, embroidery on pillow sides are all in pairs, and or patterns are symmetrical, or contents are corresponding, which stand for exquisite craft of folk embroidery. The plastic arts of pillow sides are its shapes, materials, classifications, crafts, colors and patterns. So embroidery on pillow sides is the parts of culture of pillows, which contains enormous content of folk custom and highest value of art. Embroidery on pillow sides belongs to one of the folk fine art embroideries, and is one of important parts of folk cultural heritage, and is also one of main objects of study in ethnology which research "visible phenomena". The plastic arts adhere to pillow sides, which are vehicles. So the theories and methods of ethnology and anthropology are basic foundation to study plastic arts of pillow sides. In addition, the theories and methods of folklore, fine art, archaeology, history are main reference. In this paper, the author used comprehensive study of Tran-disciplines, particular relies on "participate observation" of ethnology, and depends on the basis of collecting pillow sides for many years, and made a investigation for pillow sides going deep into people and museums of north-east of China, all of those made her comprehending the plastic arts charm of pillow sides and its cultural symbolism. Symbol is a method for expression, which is, used some things and acts to express certain meanings. This things and acts are symbol; the meanings be expressed are cultural connotation. Auspicious patterns on pillow sides made the plastic arts of pillow sides possessed symbolic culture. The main contents plastic arts of pillow sides are patterns which were composed of birds and beasts, flowers, stories, buildings, articles, words, geometric figures etc. Those that express cultural symbols--mascots, as non-language method of transmission messages, transmit ideas and wish of praying for good fortune through symbolism. Symbol of patterns on pillow sides is the surface structure of the symbolic system, a material symbol; what meanings behind of the symbol is the real content, the deep structure of the symbolic system. Both of them constitute an organic unity. Except some poems, most of the patterns were included in pillow sides are Chinese traditional mascots, in narrow sense mascots, which sanctioned by popular usage through long history. From the materials that were make into pillows, they were classified as hard and soft. Many china pillows in historical relic are typical hard pillows. The historical relic china pillows have higher value, which has been generally acknowledged by academic circle. Several books study china pillows had been published in domestication. And Japanese academic circle also pays close attention to the china pillows. Comparing to the noble china pillows, embroidery
【关键词 (中文/英文)】 枕顶绣; 吉祥物; 祈福文化; 象征符号 embroidery on pillow sides; mascots; culture of praying for good fortune; symbol
