The birth of the petal theory has an irreplaceable milestone in the history of the development of Chinese orchids, and is a unique golden crown of Chinese orchids. In the flower kingdom of the galaxy, Chinese orchids are unique, shining and dazzling. Since then, the selection and breeding of Chinese orchid varieties has entered a new era - the era of petals...
A very distinctive feature of the valve theory is that there are many analogies. Among them, especially the anthropomorphic is the main one, and the flower imitation flower is the most. Orchid friends are familiar with the plum petals, lotus petals, daffodil petals and the like, that is, the typical flowers of flowers; and silkworm moths, ruyi tongues, wick poles, etc., are representatives of flowers; as for the nose, tongue, cheeks, shoulders and other names, it is obvious that people imitate flowers, roughly as the above three categories...
What confuses many Lanyou is that the convention of using such analogies in the theory of the valve type has objectively led to a lot of confusion and misinterpretation of understanding, coupled with the inconsistencies caused by the subjective interpretation of each other, which makes the theory of the valve shape like a mysterious veil, so that many Lan friends are like into the clouds and fog, and the second monk is confused...
Since we can't figure it out, we might as well start with the "way our human brains work.". Let's compare our brain to a computer, then when our brain wants to store a huge amount of externally acquired information, there will undoubtedly be a process of compressing and encoding the data, and when we read the existing information that has been stored, it is a process of decoding and restoring. The capacity of the brain is limited, the "computing power" of encoding, decoding and processing information is also limited, which is doomed to the impression data of everything left in our brains is actually "compressed and packaged", this packaging system, similar to the hierarchical tree architecture of the computer storage system, will be gradually opened layer by level when it needs to be called. The study found that the human brain's processing method of external huge data information uses a very high-level "obfuscation" method...
"Imagery" also arises from this...
What is "imagery"? "Imagery" is formed by the fusion of objective objects and subjective emotions. Everything we come into contact with leaves some kind of "image" in our minds. "Imagery" is often highly concise, at the "image" level, color, grayscale, texture, details, etc. will be ignored, leaving only a certain type of context, program, summary similar to the black and white wireframe, which is highly "labeled"...
"Imagery" is the most original and authentic memory left to us by this colorful world. Pencil study works of kindergarten children, dongbi cliff paintings left by ancient ancestors, ancient jade, ancient pottery and other literary play, paper-cutting, printmaking and other folk arts, etc., all show a strong "imagery" atmosphere. Among them, the most worth mentioning is the literati ink painting with great characteristics of our oriental culture, and in the ink painting technique, there is a method of expressing orchids with ink colors, that is, "ink orchid". Many painters throughout the ages have painted "Molan", such as the more famous ones such as Zhao Mengjian, Zheng Sixiao, and Zhao Mengfu in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Wen Zhengming, Du Dashou, Xu Wei in the Ming Dynasty, Xu Gu, Zheng Banqiao, Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi and so on in modern times...
▲ Qing Ma Shouzhen 'Lan Zhu Tu》 ...
These "images" expressed by ink painting are cultural symbols unique to oriental elements such as Chinese style. Different from the Western aesthetic, what the Chinese people advocate is that "Danqing is difficult to write is the spirit", "the shape is easy to get, the god seems to be difficult", it seems that it is not similar, it is not similar, it is not similar, between the like and the non-like, can be understood and ineffable...
Knowing this, we will not have doubts such as "plum petals are not like plum blossoms, lotus petals are not like lotus flowers, and daffodil petals are not like daffodils". Rooted in the soil of Chinese culture, the origin of the petal theory rhetoric, nature will not be the physical resemblance, but only the image of the god...
For example, plum petals, lotus petals, and daffodil petals basically do not mean that the orchid of a certain petal shape looks like a plum blossom, a lotus flower, or a daffodil, but refers to the orchid of a certain petal shape that looks like some other flower, that is, the image is like a god! This imagery may be mostly or only some parts. Of course, in some special cases, there are also overall similarities, such as chunlan green clouds sometimes some of the opening products will be like lotus flowers. But this kind of at-a-glance similarity is rare most of the time...
A key opens a lock, and in order to decode the mystery of the petal theory, we must find the key to unlock the petal code. This key is what we call the "three-step analogy of imagery.". The specific steps are as follows: First, the object is transformed from a three-dimensional three-dimensional to a two-dimensional plane; second, throw away the color, throw away the details, and leave only the contour context (to obtain the image);
Third, look for associations (similarities) between images...
The clever Lan You probably already saw that the first and second steps were actually to reduce the physical object to a white sketch, and this work was often almost unnecessary for us to do it ourselves. For example, if we want to know the image of plum blossoms, lotuses, and daffodils in the hearts of the Chinese people, we can see how our traditional literati ink painting, plane carving, printmaking paper-cutting, etc. are expressed; as for the petal-type orchids, it is clear at a glance to look at the double-hook white drawings of orchids on the Qur'an spectrum before the birth of photography technology.
▲ Guangxu sixteenth year (1890) Jingfang Xianguan stone print "Lan Hui Concentric Record" "Set Circle" Double hook white depiction...
If you will find that at the image level, the flap theory is so appropriate and subtle! The petals of plum blossoms are basically round, with almost no petal tips (and even sometimes concave); the petals of daffodils are close to elliptical, with obvious petal tips (which is a major feature that distinguishes them from plum petals); and the petals of lotus flowers are slightly angular deformation ovoids (with a degree of flexibility). Therefore, Bao Wei Province's "Yilan Miscellaneous" said: "If the petals are short and the head is round, it is a plum petal; the slightly pointed one is a daffodil petal; the one that is slightly longer than the daffodil and the head is a lotus petal; and the upper and lower ones are wide and the one is a super petal." Zhu Kerou's "Notes on the First Fragrance": "Plum petals are like plums, the petals are not pointed, and the lotus flowers first discuss the roots... Narcissus takes the hook and barbs from the petals of the daffodils. Fang Shixuan's "Tree Hui Compilation": "Plum petals, petals like plums, and like fans; lotus petals, petals like lotus flowers, its pockets can spoon water; daffodil petals, short and wide with points"...
Of course, such a classification is a big compendium. Under this outline, combined with the actual details of the national orchid type to further divide, the synthesis is the basic content of the petal type theory. For example, the broad roundness of the outer petal of Guolan is directly proportional to the columnar variation of its petal, while the flowers with strong male variation of the petal are not only manifested as broad and rounded outer petals, but also have almost no obvious petal tips (in some cases, the inward buckle of the petal tip causes visual weakening), and also manifest as the braces have hard jaws and the lip flap (tongue) is tightened (that is, the tongue is hard and uncomfortable). Therefore, we will include "holding a hard lotus, the tongue is hard and uncomfortable" and "the outer lobe is wide and round" at the same time as the selection criteria for "plum petals"; and the daffodil petals, except for the "plum petals", have their obvious petal tips, and at the same time, the petals are softer than the "plum petals", and the lip flap (tongue) is also larger and lower than the "plum petal". Therefore, we will include "holding soft lotus, tongue large and large" and "broad and pointed outer lobe" in the selection criteria of "daffodil petal"; in addition to the "plum fairy" with the columnar variation of the petal, there is another category of national orchid that does not have the columnar variation of the petal, but the outer flap and the petal and the lip flap are equally short and wide. Therefore, we have included these indications in the selection criteria of "lotus lobe" at the same time...
For similar or "cross-border" varieties, "shape" is set under "type". For example, "daffodil petals" are divided into "positive lattice daffodils" (such as Chunlan Wang characters), "lotus-shaped daffodils" (such as Chunlan dragon characters), "plum-shaped daffodils" (such as Chunlan Xishen plum); and if they have some "lotus petal" meaning but do not meet the standard of "lotus petals", they are called "lotus shapes", and the difference needs to be that the "lotus shape" here is omitted suffix, which is the abbreviated name of "lotus-shaped row flower" and "lotus-shaped wild large petal flower". The suffix is different, its meaning has changed greatly, and it should not be confused with the "lotus shape" of "lotus-shaped daffodil"...
The development of the times, the barriers of geography, the changes in language, and so on, often bring trouble to the "cultural code" left by our predecessors. But as long as we can correctly use the key of "image", you have basically mastered the correct way to open the "petal theory treasure chest". Whether it is a flap type or a holding type, a tongue shape, a head shape, or even a stem, a hairpin, a shell, a meat, a color, a tendon, a hemp, a sand, a halo, a moss, and so on, the image always runs through it...
Some of the flap terminology are straightforward and easy to understand. For example, the "centipede tongs" and "pomegranate head" in the head shape, the "mussel shell bunch" and "pu fan bunch" in the head type, the "ruyi tongue" and "dragon swallow tongue" in the tongue type, it is such as "phoenix eyes", "chicken mouth", etc.; sometimes, it may require some background foundation and situation substitution. I remember that many years ago, there were Lan You who had doubts about the "silkworm moth", because it didn't look like "like"?! Some Lan You started their minds, saying that this "silkworm moth" is not possible that the ass is facing us: the two wings are the upper two flaps and the ass is just in the position of the pillar...
In fact, if we had some understanding of the context of the times at that time, the above problems would not exist. The reason why we think that the living silkworm moth is not like the "silkworm moth" is because it is disturbed by the double millimeter (tentacles) and wings of the living silkworm moth. In essence, this "silkworm moth" is not the other "silkworm moth", which refers to the dried Chinese medicine "male silkworm moth", which is relatively fragile in the process of preparation, transportation and storage, etc., and the relatively fragile double millimeters and wings have not existed, basically just the head and body. Chinese medicine believes that "silkworm moths are sexually promiscuous, and have the effect of entering the kidneys and aphrodisiacs". In addition, in the past, it was polygamous, and it was common for the literati to have a three- or five-room aunt in addition to the wives of the doctor class, and there were also family wives, house collectors, etc. In addition, there were still "fox tours" and other elegant things, and there was a custom of "taking medicine and raising turtles". The silkworm moths in their imagery naturally coincide with the "silkworm moths". It is our modern people who know this and do not know the other; such a paradoxical situation of Zhang Guan Li Dai has also appeared in the "bean shell bunch", including some of our widely influential orchid books, which have also interpreted the "bean shell bunch" as "the shape of the end of the broad bean shell". In fact, the ancient genealogy is clearly written, and the full name of "bean shell bunch" is "chicken bean shell bunch". What is "chicken bean"? The scientific name is Qi Shi, commonly known as chicken beans. Look at the front end of the flower or fruit (half of the chicken bean shell), you will find that the chicken bean shell bouquet turned out to be so exquisite, you don't have to work the choice of broad beans, soybeans, red beans, and lentils; for example, peach petals and persimmon tongue, some orchid friends will mistakenly guess peach petals or peach petals, persimmon tongue or maybe persimmon tongue based on the physical form of peach and persimmon that do not match the orchid. In fact, this is all because of the failure to grasp the "image" of the customs clearance key, and walked into the misunderstanding! Looking at the peach and persimmon painted by the ink paintings of the people, all the original doubts will gradually dissipate and suddenly open up. More examples, not to list them all...
It should be noted that the valve theory is an open system of collective creation, collective perfection, selection and conformity, and freedom to come and go. After the baptism of time, some will be retained, some will fade out, and some will be replaced. For example, the tongue shape of Hui Lan Cheng Mei and the old best product, we all know today is "dragon swallowing tongue". However, what Lan Friends may not know is that "dragon swallowing tongue" is actually a relatively "newborn word". Dating back to the "Lan Hui Concentric Record", the flap type word "Dragon Swallowing Tongue" has not appeared, and the Cheng Mei tongue type described in the "Lan Hui Concentric Record" is "sharp ruyi tongue", and it is recorded in the "Little History of Lan Hui" "Dragon Swallowing Tongue". With the passage of time, the "sharp ruyi tongue" was gradually replaced by the more appropriate "dragon swallowing tongue"; another example was "monk shoes chrysanthemum". Monk shoe chrysanthemum is a common name for the Chinese medicine "appendage" (also known as aconitum), because the flower resembles a goose head, alias goose flower. It can be seen from the imagery of monk shoes and goose heads that the end of the "monk shoe chrysanthemum" has a crown-like bump (such as Chunlan Tianxing and Guiyuan), and this type of holding is basically between the Guanyin and the horn, similar to the bean shell and extremely difficult to distinguish. With the passage of time, the "monk shoes chrysanthemum" gradually faded out of the vision of Lan Friends...
In addition, based on their respective cognitive differences, the inner meaning of the same word in different eras or times is also different, and it is indispensable to argue. For example, "lotus", "lotus", "lotus petal", what we call "lotus" today, basically means "lotus petal" and "lotus shape", but it was not completely in ancient times. The "Notes on the First Fragrance" has a saying: "The so-called lotus flower of today is not a wide super petal, a large clump of flap ears, and human feelings are drowned in what is good, so it is called." Therefore, this time node can basically be bounded by the "First Incense Notes", before that, "lotus" did not refer specifically to the "lotus petal" as we understand it today, and the so-called "lotus flower" at that time was essentially the abbreviation of the "lotus daffodil" in the daffodil petal, that is, the "lotus daffodil" later called "lotus daffodil". Since the "Shuhui Compilation", "Lan Hui Concentric Record" and later the "Lan Hui Xiaoshi", the word "lotus" has the exclusive monopoly meaning of "lotus petal" as we understand it today...
As for the petal type, in addition to the "plum, lotus, and immortal" of the positive grid, there are still different "floating doors", "odd, butterfly flowers", and "plain flowers (color flowers)"; these flower types (flower colors) are collectively referred to as floral varieties; and varieties with leaves that are different from ordinary leaves are collectively referred to as leaf art varieties. Due to space limitations, I will not expand here...
For a long time, a small number of Lan You have a great misunderstanding of the valve theory! It is as if the flap theory is "Mei Lotus Immortal", or even just "Mei Lotus Immortal"! Even some Lan Jie scholars have more or less this misunderstanding, which is very fatal...
It must be emphasized that "plum, lotus, immortal, vegetarian, odd", etc., are only an intuitive and superficial presentation of the valve theory, which is widely known, and is its appearance rather than its core! The core of the "petal theory" is based on the classification and packaging method of all national orchid categories that meet the aesthetic and spiritual needs of the Chinese people, and is a selection system for new varieties of national orchids.
The term "flap theory" itself is an abbreviation, an abbreviation for the selection system that later generations have agreed upon! The full name should be "petal type, color, fragrance, rhyme... Doctrine". The so-called petals refer to the generation flowers, but also abbreviated, plum petals, lotus petals, daffodil petals, vegetarian heart petals, the full name is plum petal flowers, lotus petal flowers, daffodil petal flowers, plain heart petal flowers; the so-called type, contains Youfeng! The original meaning of "type" is the method of casting, wooden mold, bamboo model, clay type, flap type theory of "type", not only "shape", "type", but also a standard! At the same time, it also contains many elements related to "type", such as shape, color, product, personality, god, rhyme, etc. The "type" of the flap type can basically be said to be almost all-encompassing in the evaluation norms related to Guolan...
From the many ancient genealogical texts that have been handed down and what is seen at present, this comprehensive aspect of the valve type theory can be confirmed. For example, as far as the appearance is concerned, the old spectrum contains not only the petals (including the outer petals, the holding petals, and the lip flaps), but also the roots, leaves, aces, buds, buds, buds, shells, tendons, stems, hairpins, mosses, arguments, noses, colors, incense, shoulders, guards, and so on; in terms of varieties, there are not only the petal flowers and plain heart flowers that we are familiar with, but also the "cinnabar orchid" of the red pigment class, the "butterfly orchid" of the butterfly flower class, the "love orchid" of the odd flower class, the "double orchid" (double tongue), the "pinzi" (three tongues), the "four joys" of the odd flower class. (Four tongues) and so on, the color flowers of "Ju lan", "Snow Orchid", "Golden Orchid", "Purple Orchid", "Mo Lan", "Golden Daffodil", "Golden Lotus", "Red Plum", etc.; in modern and contemporary times, chrysanthemum petals, peony petals, unicorn petals (lion's head), tree-shaped flowers, wave petals, floating doors, lily petals, crystals, linsheng body, leaf butterflies, leaf art and many other new types of discovery and the birth of related words have been basically recognized by the majority of orchid friends...
It can be seen that once, now and even in the future, the "petal theory" is open, evolved, developed, replaced, expanded, advancing with the times, and constantly improving itself. One of the characteristics of our famous ethnic culture is spontaneous formation, first circulated in the oral, and then reduced to words, according to the situation, absorbing the strengths of all, wide in and strict out, survival of the fittest, brainstorming, the essence of eternal survival! The valve theory is a product of this...
Since the ranking of the many varieties listed in the Song "Jin Zhanglan Spectrum", the classification of purple orchid and white orchid, the ranking of the lower product, the middle product, the upper product, the oddity of the product outside the product, etc., can be regarded as the source of the "petal type theory"; the take-off of the petal type theory originated from the gradual development of the resources of Chunhuilan in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and some new excellent categories (Mei Hexianqi, etc.) that did not appear or rarely appeared in the resources that mainly took Molan Jianlan as the main body in the past gradually entered the vision of the lan people, and these categories were in line with the aesthetic vision and aesthetic trend of the Chinese people at that time. The theory of the flap pattern was thus gradually enriched and clarified by the records of Bowie Province and others. At the same time, some of the morphologies that were originally unique to the Jianlan species, because they met the aesthetic standards of the main body, were still introduced into the evaluation specifications of the Chunhui orchid class, such as the plain upper, the wick stem, the main flap cap, the outer flap arch, etc.
▲Schematic diagram of Chinese orchid petal structure...
Looking at the entire development process of the valve theory, it is an open source, on the basis of inheritance, continuous self-evolution, self-renewal, and gathering of wisdom. With the addition of orchid species such as Hanlan, Zixiu, Douban, Send Spring, Qiuzhi, Hongxiangfei and other orchid species and emerging resource production areas such as Qinling and Great Southwest, in order to adapt to some newly emerging new excellent categories, the re-expansion of the petal theory is undoubtedly inevitable...
Adapting to change, constantly becoming unchanged, is the world we live in and the norm of the valve theory. What has changed is the skin bag, what has not changed is the bones and bones, and it is the Chinese nation's unremitting pursuit and exploration of "truth, goodness and beauty"...