Open full image Pin

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 4

Unknown

1204

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Ming Painting Medieval Religious

Dominant colour

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 4 is a 1204 unspecified by Unknown, a Ming Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1204 · Ming Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a line of figures walking on clouds—one deity on horseback, guards with swords, flags, and a parasol. This is a page from a Daoist album, made when religion was part of daily life in China. The deity here is the Official of Earth, a sort of heavenly bureaucrat who decides human fate. The artist drew him like a government official, with attendants and paperwork, showing how the divine world mirrored the real one. Look up more about the subject: *china, southern song dynasty (1127-1279)*.

The story of this work

Overview

Leaf 4 depicts one of the sanguan 三官大帝 (Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water) in the Daoist pantheon. These "officials" work as intermediaries between human beings and the bureaucracy of the netherworld. This deity, riding on a lively steed, most likely represents the "Official of Earth" 地官. Leading the way, his entourage includes a host of protective guards who carry his sword and chair, hoist his parasol and flags, or simply hold their own weapons. These figures all walk on clouds, moving along with a strong wind that causes the parasol and flags to flutter, creating a sense of…