Embroidery of the Times: A Comparative Study on the Iconography of Han Dynasty Picture Stones with the Same Subject Matter--Taking Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King as an Example

Abstract

This paper focuses on the iconographic study of the Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King pictorial stone from the Wu Ancestral Hall in Jiaxiang, Shandong Province, and summarises the artistic expression and basic connotation of the Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King thematic pictorial stone. Further, the paper gives an overview of the distribution and characteristics of the Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King pictographs in different regions of China. Combined with iconographic comparisons of the Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King pictographs from different regions in the Han Dynasty, the paper points out that although the themes of the images are the same in all regions, there are differences in the composition and details of the depictions. It is pointed out that although the theme of the images is the same in different regions, there are differences in the specific composition and detail depiction, reflecting the cultural characteristics and technical level of different regions. By exploring the meanings behind this motif, the paper also reveals the multiple symbolic meanings and evolution of the image of Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King in Han society. Finally, the paper concludes that the ideological function of Jing Ke Assassinates the Qin King images in Han society and its value as a new perspective for Han history research.