Exploring the Artistic Form of Stone Dog Sculpture in Leizhou Peninsula, China

Abstract

The Leizhou Peninsula in China is well-known for its ancient stone dog sculpture art, spanning back over two thousand years. Stone dog carving has an incredibly high aesthetic value owing to its unique artistic shape. However, due to Leizhou Peninsula’s remoteness from Central China’s cultural and artistic center, these stone dog sculptures are only studied by a few local scholars, and there is still a need to further explore the artistic significance of these sculptures. The evolution of stone dog carving art in the Leizhou Peninsula is closely related to the southward migration of the population from Central Plains. This article explores the cultural background that contributed to the origin of its artistic form, classifies stone dog carving art preliminarily based on the historical dynasties, and analyzes its stylistic characteristics, aiming to reveal the development and evolution of regional art in Leizhou Peninsula and the reasons behind it.