Confucius and Lao Tzu are well-known figures in the history of our country, and they founded Confucianism and Taoism respectively, which have had a profound impact on our thinking and life until now.
Lao Tzu was at least ten years older than Confucius, and he was also famous before Confucius was born, and it is said that Lao Tzu became the "director of the National Library" in the Zhou Dynasty at the age of sixteen.
In 518 BC, Confucius became famous in Lu and accepted Nangong Jingshu, a son of a nobleman, as an apprentice. One day, Confucius said to Nangong Jingshu: "Zhou's shouzang room Shi Lao, Bo Gu Tong Jin, the source of knowledge of etiquette and music, and the importance of morality." I want to go to Zhou for advice, but do you want to go with me? Nangong Jingshu readily agreed, and immediately reported to Lu Zhaogong. Lu Zhaogong sent Confucius and Nangong Jingshu to Luoyang as an envoy.
At this meeting, Lao Tzu not only answered various questions raised by Confucius, but also gave Confucius a piece of advice, advising Confucius to be modest and low-key, and to know how to protect himself. After returning to the country of Lu, Confucius repeatedly played with Lao Tzu's words, and the more he pondered, the more he felt that Lao Tzu was unfathomable, calling Lao Tzu a figure like a "dragon", "profound and unpredictable in knowledge, highly interested and difficult to know; like a snake that bends and stretches at any time, like a dragon that changes at the right time." Old Man, Makoto Master also! ”
The history of Confucius seeing Lao Tzu is recorded in books such as the Book of Rites, the Records of History, and the Notes on the Water Classics, and many Han Dynasty portrait stones reflecting this story have also been unearthed.
This portrait stone in the "Why China" exhibition was unearthed in Wulaowa, Jiaxiang County, Shandong Province. It was collected and preserved by the Shandong Jinshi Preservation Institute, founded in 1909, and returned to the Shandong Provincial Cultural Management Commission after the founding of New China, and was transferred to the Shandong Museum for preservation in 1954. Height 48 cm, width 111 cm, thickness 21 cm, the overall nearly rectangular, the use of ground reduction line engraving technique, image composition focus on flat expression, clear outline, simple shape, vivid and powerful lines, with the classic pattern of early Chinese scroll painting.
The portrait adopts the method of layered narration, the upper portrait: on the right side of the picture, there are two people leaning opposite each other, the left one is titled "Confucius", the right one is titled "Lao Tzu", Confucius and Lao Tzu are in the middle, there is a small child, one hand pushing the wheel, one finger to Confucius, experts speculate that it is Xiang Qiao. Behind Lao Tzu (right) stands one person, behind Confucius (left) there are two people opposite, and the left one wears a crown and has a strong open arm, which should be Confucius's disciple Zilu. On the left side of the picture, there are eight more people, the left seven people are all standing to the right, the first one is short in stature, with a sword, and the six people behind him are accompanied in turn, and the one in front of him is a gesture of greeting. Above the short person there is a list of titles "* zi", the following "zi" word is clearer and more recognizable, the upper word is more vague, some scholars identify as "Yan". The lower level is engraved with war images of two columns of knights.