- 最后登录
- 2008-9-1
- 在线时间
- 0 小时
- 寄托币
- 259
- 声望
- 0
- 注册时间
- 2007-2-25
- 阅读权限
- 15
- 帖子
- 0
- 精华
- 0
- 积分
- 258
- UID
- 2306591
- 声望
- 0
- 寄托币
- 259
- 注册时间
- 2007-2-25
- 精华
- 0
- 帖子
- 0
|
TOPIC: ARGUMENT56 - Collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on Kali Island but have long wondered how the Kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with such realistic precision. Since archeologists have recently discovered molds of human heads and hands on Kali, we can now conclude that the ancient Kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies, not sculpting tools and techniques, to create these statues. This discovery explains why Kalinese miniature statues were abstract and entirely different in style: molds could only be used for life-size sculptures. It also explains why few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found. In light of this development, collectors should expect the life-size sculptures to decrease in value and the miniatures to increase in value.
WORDS: 436 TIME: 上午 12:29:50 DATE: 2007-4-18
In the argument, the author expects that the life-size sculptures would decrease in value and the miniatures to increase in value. However, the expectation has several logic flaws.
To begin with, the discoveries of the molds of actual bodies do not mean that the ancient Kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies. As we know, the molds of actual bodies have many other uses, such as the religious rituals. Perhaps, the ancient Kalinese used to use the mold in some festivals to show their respect to the god. Moreover, the author only mentions discoveries of the molds of actual heads and hands. Can a sculpture only contain a head and hands? How about the ancients finished the other part of the scriptures? Why the molds of other parts of a body had not been found till now? Without the answers to these problems, how the author persuades us? Therefore, all these possibilities remain the expectation open to doubt.
Moreover, even if ancient Kalineses do use the molds of human bodies to create statues, it can not explain why Kalinese miniature statues were abstract, as well as why few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found. Some alternative fact could explain this. Firstly, when it comes to the differences between the miniature and life-size statues, it is possible that aesthetic standards decide it. Perhaps, the ancients just like to create a realistic life-size status, while they used to create abstract miniatures. Or perhaps, there are many realistic miniatures created in the past, but disappeared because the nature disasters or wars. Secondly, consider, the reasons why few tools have been found can also be explained that most tools were damaged due to the disasters or the wars. Or perhaps, the archeologists would find many tools in some places later. Therefore, the expectation is still dubious.
Finally, given that the forgoing assumptions are reliable, the author may overlook many other factors to decide the value of the sculptures, such as the age of a sculpture and the number of this kind of sculptures. It is entirely possible that there are only few life-size sculptures was discover worldwide, while many miniature sculptures were found, so, even that ancients used molds to create the life-size ones, it would not impact the value dramatically. Besides, the author provides scant evidences that the people would interest in the miniatures more since the life-size sculptures used molds as tools.
In sum, the exception is unsubstantiated as it stands. More survey about whether the sculptures really use molds, and the perspectives about the academia should be taken to reach a more forceful and substantiate expectation.
|
|