Interpretation of Kweichow Moutai Feitian Trademark Culture Based on Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic
In 1958, China's Guizhou Moutai launched the "Feitian Trademark" edition, marking a new chapter in its international market presence. This paper takes the Feitian Trademark of Guizhou Moutai as its research subject and applies Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic theory to systematically analyze the historical context of the trademark's creation, followed by an interpretation of its cultural connotations at three levels: (1) As an icon, the Feitian Trademark directly references the imagery of the Feitian (flying apsaras) from the Dunhuang murals and the ancient Chinese bronze ritual wine vessel known as the "Jue," highlighting the splendor of Buddhist culture and the advanced civilization of ancient China. (2) As an index, the ideological confrontations of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union served as the direct external motivation for improving the trademark of Moutai's export products. Internally, the preliminary formation of China’s planned economy around 1957 and the adjusted trade mechanism targeting Hong Kong and Macao provided the technical conditions for the Feitian Trademark’s creation. Meanwhile, the in-depth development of Dunhuang Studies in the 1950s supplied rich cultural resources for the trademark’s design. (3) As a symbol, the color scheme of the Feitian Trademark derives its meaning from traditional Chinese culture, while the interpretation of its design style relies on knowledge of the historical development of Western industrial design.
1958年中国贵州省茅台酒厂推出“飞天商标”茅台酒,从此在国际市场打开新局面。 本文以贵州茅台酒“飞天商标”为研究对象,依据皮尔斯(Charles Sanders Peirce)符 号学理论,系统分析“飞天商标”诞生的历史语境,进而解读其三个层面的文化内涵: (1)从像似符解读,“飞天商标”直接指涉敦煌壁画中的飞天形象和中国古代的青铜器 ——爵杯,彰显出灿烂辉煌的佛教文化以及中国古代发达的社会文明。(2)从指示符解 读,美苏冷战历史背景下的意识形态对抗是贵州茅台酒改进外销产品商标的直接原因和外 部因素;1957年前后中国计划经济体制初步形成,外贸体制调整后的港澳推销机制为“飞 天商标”诞生提供了技术条件;20世纪50年代敦煌学的深入发展为商标设计提供了丰富的 文化资源,可以看作“飞天商标”诞生的内部因素。(3)从规约符解读,“飞天商标” 配色的意义解释依赖中国传统文化,而设计风格的意义解读则需要以西方工业设计发展的 历史知识为前提。