The Research of Bracket Culture in Chinese Traditional Wooden Architechture

KEYWORD:Traditional; Wooden structure; Architechture;Bracket;Culture ABSTRACT:Bracket has experienced vicissitudes for hundreds of years in Chinese traditional wooden architechture, so that the natural color on its surface had long been faded, however, the marvelous sculptures on it has always been suggesting that the lives of the ancients and it is the fantastic designs,exquisite carving skills, vivid patterns and lifelike interests that have shown us the artistic charm of Chinese traditional wooden architechture. In order to arise the enthusiasm about bracket,this passage intends to disuss the implication and spirit culture of the bracket by analyzing the historical evolution, sculpt, size and materials such characteristics. WITH REFERENCE TO THE BRACKET Bracket also named as "ChengGong", "XieCheng", "TuoZuo", which is a diagonal wooden stick out of the eave column, and the crossbar is a purlin which is used for bracing the cornice. Bracket can not only increase the roof eaves to shelter from the wind and rain,but also transmit the upper gravity to the eave column in order to maintain the stability of the buildings.( Figure 1) Initially, the bracket was not be accepted by publicity for its heavy body, so it is difficult to see it in early traditional wooden architechture. Thanks to the development of traditional woodcarving techniques, bracket had been prevailed in traditional wooden architectures. Bracket, gradually became a significant component with the arrival of woodcarving techiniques in Ming and Qing Dynasties. So in Ming and Qing Dynasties, brackets could be found everywhere in traditional wooden architecture, which were mainly concentrat-ed in the ancestral hall, luxury, Academy, temples, shops, offices and other buildings with high standards of construction. Bracket culture is the essence of the implication of the Chinese traditional architectural culture with fleshy or light shapes and fantastic carving skill. THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF BRACKE- T IN TRADITIONAL WOODEN ARCHITECTUR-E The history of bracket was shorter than other timber structural members and there was not any evidence proved that brackets appeared before Ming Dynasty. The "early" bracket was a diagonal wooden stick, just like the bottle spout, and no decoration on it. In early Ming Dynasty, extremely simple lined carving was appeared the bracket . In the midterm of Ming Dynasty, the decoration of "bracket" had been valued, much intagliated decorative lines were used to carve, then the volume grass carving were appcared. Due to the prosperity of the economy and increases of the artists, the bracket and wood were combined perfectly, the clumsy image of bracket had become flexible for the wood carving technology, hence the bracket was popular among the people.