敦煌石窟龕楣(梁)上雙首 - 身龍紋與商代青銅器龍紋圖像形態及甲骨文虹/霓字的淵源=On the Origins of the Two-Headed Dragon Pattern on the Niche Lintel in the Caves at Mogao,the Dragon Patterns on Shang Dynasty Bronze Wares,and the Character Hong(Rainbow) on Oracle Bone Inscriptions
Based on textual description and visual images, this paper discusses the images of dragons depicted in the niche lintels or beams dating from the Northern Dynasties to the Sui dynasty in Dunhuang caves, traces them back to the two-headed dragon patterns(with dragon heads and the body of a snake) in the Shang dynasty bronze wares, and compares these patterns with items on exhibition in the Louvre Museum and ancient dragon patterns( two-headed Néo-assyrienneox patterns) on Iranian and Egyptian sculptures. The goal of this research is to investigate the connection and difference between the dragon images in Chinese traditional culture and the visual evolution and intended symbolic meaning of the two-headed dragon pattern found in Mogao caves as influenced by sources from the Western Regions of China.
