The artistic form of the deity Lu, or Dragon-god, is inspired by the animistic belief of the Co-ne Tibetan people. Through a long-term process of mutual integration and evolution, it has become an artistic form with rich national and regional cultural features and specific connotations. This artistic form has not only accumulated and retained original, local cultural features, but it also absorbed and integrated foreign cultural elements. Therefore, it can be viewed as an all-inclusive artistic form widely drawing upon the richness of both local and foreign aspects. The distinctive religious connotations of the Dragon-god express the boundless charm of Co-ne Tibetan art. They convey the notion of ideal harmony between man and man, man and object, and man and nature in Co-ne Tibetan society. They also embody the ideals, values and aesthetic norms of the Co-ne Tibetans. In recent years, the dragon pattern art has received extensive and increasing attention from scholars, providing vital historical materials for research on nature, history, politics and the culture of the Co-ne Tibetan-inhabited areas.
Keywords:
Tibetan Buddhism; Dragon-god pattern art; Distinctive features; Environmental consciousness; Animism