Auspicious New Year—Snake-Themed Art Exhibition at the National Art Museum of China

With the arrival of the Year of the Snake, the National Art Museum of China held the "Auspicious New Year—Snake-Themed Art Exhibition at the National Art Museum of China." The exhibition presents a diverse range of snake imagery in various art forms, including Chinese paintings, couplets, New Year pictures, paper-cuts, shadow puppets, toys, masks, and embroidery, all imbued with rich and auspicious meanings. Snakes in Chinese folk art possess profound cultural connotations. As an auspicious symbol in Chinese culture, the snake is both majestic and mysterious, yet also playful and intriguing. Its shedding of skin represents the cycle and leap of life, its agility symbolizes flexibility and insight, and its ability to conceal itself embodies the wisdom of "containment." Even Nüwa and Fuxi, the ancestral figures of the Chinese nation, are depicted as half-human, half-snake beings. The "snake coiling around a rabbit" motif, commonly found in paper-cuts, has been popular for many years. The "coiling snake" originates from the Taosi culture of the Neolithic period. Its swirling form derives from ancient observations of celestial movements and the laws of the universe, serving as a symbolic expression of the Chinese traditional worldview, representing the harmony of yin and yang, the creation of all things, and the endless cycle of life. When combined with the "rabbit," a symbol of abundant offspring and prosperity, it signifies the love and protection bestowed upon future generations. The image of a snake is an image of lines; the movement of a snake is like the flow of lines in calligraphy; the lines in painting and calligraphy also meander like a snake. Expressions such as "the brush moves like a dragon and snake," "shaped like a dragon and snake," "smoke and clouds like dragons and snakes," and "as swift as a startled snake" all vividly depict the unrestrained spirit and radiant energy, showcasing the undulating power and rhythm that stretches endlessly...