A STUDY ON THE IMAGE DESIGN OF KOJI POTTERY STATUES: WITH GUAN GONG DESIGN AS AN EXAMPLE

Abstract

The image design of Koji-pottery statues with the historical figure Guan Gong as an example was investigated. Three form styles – sitting, riding, and standing postures – were identified from 24 Guan Gong's statues, and ten descriptive words like loyalty, righteousness, bravery, etc. were chosen by experts for use as the features of Guan Gong's image. The appropriateness of these image features for describing the Guan Gong's statue was evaluated statistically via a questionnaire survey of young people's opinions using the SPSS. Expert interviews were also conducted. Major findings of these investigations include: (1) Guan Gong's images of the three postures represent perseverance, bravery, and guarding, respectively; (2) Guan Gong's sitting posture shows the most image features; (3) wealth is the least-recognized Guan Gong's image, inconsistent with the social impression of him as a Wealth God. These findings are useful as a reference for future creations of Koji-pottery art, contributing to sustainment of related culture.