蓮瓣紋，起源于春秋時期，出現(xiàn)在各種青銅器上，多采用立體蓮瓣作壺蓋上裝飾，盛行于南北朝至宋代，流行于中國整個封建時代。而大量運用到陶瓷裝飾上面，是從魏晉南北朝時期開始，佛教當時正盛行于世，上至皇室貴族，下至黎民百姓，都沉浸在崇佛的狂熱風氣中，一直到隋唐都流行蓮瓣紋飾的陶瓷器物，足見人們禮佛、敬佛和渴望國泰民安的心靈寄托。
唐代，這個作為中國封建社會最頂峰時期，萬國來朝的盛世之風，使得唐人追求一種奢華、豐腴的生活享受，尤以“胖”為美，用現(xiàn)代人話就是“白富美”，無論是繪畫還是陶瓷紋飾上都有表現(xiàn)，使得蓮瓣紋飾變得肥腴、碩大。
到了宋代，人們從早期的蓮瓣紋形狀肥碩圓胖，而隨著宋人審美情趣從唐代的肥碩轉(zhuǎn)為清瘦俊秀。兩宋時期，五大名窯的崛起，南北方各大窯口星羅棋布，各懷絕技。浙江龍泉青瓷的各種器物外壁繪有的蓮紋瓣紋飾逐漸從圓胖形轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榧馐菪危h(huán)繞壁外的蓮瓣也由最初的八瓣、十瓣、十二瓣發(fā)展到越來越多瓣。宋代沿用了自唐代以來刻劃和模印的主要瓣紋裝飾手法。尤其是定窯、耀州窯的佛教用品凈瓶，器身刻有多層蓮瓣紋，刀法犀利，勻凈利落。
蓮瓣紋，曾經(jīng)作為佛教吉祥紋飾在中國流行了一千多年時間，逐漸世俗化，脫離了宗教的藩籬，由劃刻花紋演變?yōu)槔L畫紋樣。背后的文化含義是支撐這一紋飾發(fā)展的主要動力，常寓意為文人士大夫的人格寫照。社會風氣中將蓮花作人格化的比擬，使蓮紋具有人格化的特征，這有利于佛教蓮紋向世俗化轉(zhuǎn)變，在民間以更切合民俗生活的新形式廣泛流傳。直到現(xiàn)在，我們時常仍然能在陶瓷上見到她的身影，或是以主題紋飾出現(xiàn)，或是以輔助紋飾出現(xiàn)在人們面前，帶給大家妙曼的形韻美感。
The lotus petal pattern originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and appeared on various bronze wares. The three-dimensional lotus petals were mostly used for the decoration of the pot cover. It was popular from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, and was popular throughout the feudal era of China. The extensive use of ceramic decorations began in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, when Buddhism was prevailing in the world, from the royal family to the people of the Li people, who were immersed in the frenzy of worshipping Buddha until the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The decorative ceramic wares show people's spiritual sustenance to worship the Buddha, to respect the Buddha, and to long for the country and the people.
In the Tang Dynasty, as the peak period of China’s feudal society, the prosperity of the nations from all over the world led the people of Tang Dynasty to pursue a luxurious and rich life enjoyment, especially “fat” as the beauty, which means “white, rich and beautiful” in modern words. There are expressions in both painting and ceramic ornamentation, making the lotus petal ornamentation plump and huge.
In the Song Dynasty, people changed from the early lotus petal pattern to plump and plump, and with the Song people's aesthetic taste changed from the plump of the Tang Dynasty to thin and handsome. During the Song Dynasty, with the rise of the five famous kilns, the mouths of the major kilns in the north and south were scattered all over the country, each possessing unique skills. The lotus petal patterns painted on the outer walls of various celadon wares in Longquan, Zhejiang gradually changed from chubby to sharp and thin. The lotus petals surrounding the wall also developed from eight, ten, and twelve petals to more and more Multilobed. The Song Dynasty continued to use the main petal pattern decoration techniques that have been carved and stamped since the Tang Dynasty. Especially in the Ding kiln and Yaozhou kiln, the Buddhist supplies clean bottles are engraved with multi-layer lotus petal patterns on the body, and the knife is sharp and uniform.
The lotus petal pattern was once popular in China as a Buddhist auspicious pattern for more than a thousand years. It has gradually become secularized and separated from religious barriers. It has evolved from a carved pattern to a painting pattern. The cultural meaning behind it is the main driving force supporting the development of this ornamentation. The comparison of the lotus as a personification in the social atmosphere makes the lotus pattern have the characteristics of personification, which is conducive to the transformation of the Buddhist lotus pattern to secularization, and it is widely spread among the people in a new form that is more suitable for folk life. Up to now, we can still see her figure on ceramics, either as themed patterns or as auxiliary patterns in front of people, giving everyone a wonderful sense of shape and charm.
