磚雕寓意豐富
Rich?meaning?in?the?brick?carvings? ? ? ? ??
四合院建造很講究磚雕，不論府第還是民宅，裝飾磚雕的應(yīng)用十分普遍，這些磚雕主要集中在門樓、墻面和屋脊之上，頗具觀賞價值。精美的磚雕內(nèi)容包括幾何圖形、動物、花草、樹木等諸多題材。動物有龍、麒麟、獅子、牛、羊、馬、猴、鹿、松鼠等；花木有梅、蘭、竹、菊“四君子”；還有象征吉祥、長壽、多子多福的松、柏、壽桃、蓮花、石榴、葡萄、牡丹、葫蘆等；另有牡丹與鳳凰組成的“富貴吉祥”、桃和蝙蝠組成的“多福多壽”、松樹和仙鶴組成的“松鶴延年”等。四合院的大門是雕刻裝飾的重點部位，雕刻內(nèi)容豐富、題材廣泛、大多為福祿壽喜，梅蘭竹菊等。
Special?attention?was?given?to?brick?carving?in?the?structures?of?Siheyuan,?where?the?use?of?ornamental?brick?carvings?was?quite?universal?in?both?mansions?and?ordinary?houses.?These?brick?carvings?found?their?way?mainly?on?the?gatehouses,?the?wall?surfaces,?and?roofs,?which?had?quite?a?high?value?of?appreciation.?The?themes?of?these?exquisite?carvings?included?geometrical?shapes,?animals,?flowers,?plants,?and?etc.?Carved?in?the?bricks?were?animals?such?as?the?dragon,?kylin,?lion,?bull,?sheep,?horse,?monkey,?deer,?squirrel,?and?etc;?plants?such?as?the?Four?Gentlemen:?the?plum?blossom,?orchid,?bamboo?and?chrysanthemum;?symbols?of?auspiciousness,?longevity?and?a?happy?big?family:?the?pine,?cypress,?longevity?peach,?lotus?blossom,?pomegranates,?grapes,?peony,?hyacinth,?and?etc;?patterns?of?"nobleness?and?auspiciousness"?symbolized?by?the?combination?of?peony?and?phoenix,?"bliss?and?longevity"?by?peach?and?bat,?and?"longevity"?by?pine?and?crane,?etc.?The?front?gate?of?the?Siheyuan?was?the?key?point?for?the?carving?with?a?large?range?of?contents?and?themes,?mostly?expressing?wishes?for?a?happy?life,?good?income,?longevity,?and?happy?events?by?symbols?such?as?the?plum?blossom,?orchid,?bamboo,?chrysanthemum,?and?etc.??
四合院的屋頂一般做成陰陽合瓦的屋面和清水脊，屋脊兩端高高翹起兩個尾，稱“朝天笏”，俗稱“蝎子尾”。在蝎子尾下方，點綴著以四季花、富貴花、松竹梅為雕飾題材的“花草磚”，取吉祥寓意。
高級宅院會在諸如什錦窗、門廊筒子、窗套等部位飾以精美的磚雕，以顯示富貴高雅。戧檐雕刻題材尤其廣泛，如鶴鹿同春、子孫萬代、麒麟臥松、太師少師、博古爐瓶、鴛鴦荷花、玉棠富貴等。戧檐側(cè)面的磚雕縫頭上還常刻有萬事如意、太極圖等圖案。
??The?roof?was?generally?built?with?a?roofing?covered?with?tiles?geared?up?and?a?water?draining?ridge,?with?both?ends?of?the?ridge?tilted?upward?high?into?the?air?like?tails?called?the?"skyward?tablets",?popularly?known?as?the?"scorpion?tails",?dotted?under?which?were?"floral?bricks"?with?seasonal?flowers,?rich?and?noble?flowers,?the?pine,?bamboo?and?plum?blossom,?and?other?symbols?of?auspiciousness.?
High-class?residential?courtyards?would?have?delicate?brick?carvings?on?the?assorted?window,?porch?tube,?window?cover?and?other?parts?to?signify?nobleness,?affluence?and?elegance.?The?carvings?on?the?canopy?closure?came?with?a?large?range?of?themes,?such?as?the?crane?and?deer?blessed?by?spring,?an?endless?line?of?descent,?the?kilin?lying?under?a?pine,?the?Grand?Tutor?Junior?Tutor,?Bogu?furnace?bottle,?mandarin?ducks?amid?lotus?blossoms,?and?begonias?signifying?nobleness?and?prosperity,?and?etc.?Also?carved?on?the?seam?margin?of?the?side?of?the?canopy?closure?were?patterns?symbolizing?good?wishes,?the?Diagram?of?the?Supreme?Ultimate,?and?etc.?
