The Heavenly Court: Daoist Temple Painting in China, 1200-1400 (Sinica Leidensia) (English and Chinese Edition)

One of the most magnificent and enduring themes in Chinese painting history can be found depicted in Daoist temples from the local village up to the very capital, viz., the paintings of the Heavenly Court (chaoyuan tu). Surprisingly, its images have remained largely unstudied in Western scholarship. Drawing on a comparative study of four complete sets of wall paintings dating back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries (the oldest examples), and their related images, painting criticism, stele inscriptions, and Daoist ritual manuals, the author offers the first comprehensive study of the historical development, iconography, ritual context, methods of mural design, and the personalisations made by patrons of the four Heavenly Court paintings. Copyright 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 12 List of Illustrations 14 Introduction 26 History and Development 36 1.1 Four Phases 36 Early Phase, 400–700 37 Transitional Phase, 700–1000 45 Late Phase, 1400–Present 74 1.2 The Development of the Chao-audience Theme 82 Homage Scene 83 Donor Scene 85 Tomb Procession Scene 93 Heavenly Court Paintings 96 Iconography 100 2.1 Yongle Gong 101 Temple History and Layout 101 Scholarship 105 Iconography 109 2.2 Toronto Murals 122 Scholarship 122 Iconography 125 2.3 Nan’an 130 Temple History and Layout 130 Scholarship 132 Iconography 137 2.4 Beiyue miao 141 Temple History and Layout 141 Scholarship 146 Iconography 155 Ritual Foundations 168 3.1 The Chao-audience Ritual 170 Court Ritual and Daoist Liturgy 171 Development and Sequence 173 Fusion 181 3.2 Paintings in the Altar Setting 185 Layout and Development 186 Jiao-offering Lists and Memorial Lists 199 Increase of the Ritual Pantheon 202 Altar and Temple Space 206 Viewers 208 Ritual Function 209 3.3 Cosmology 214 Cosmological Division 215 The Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water 218 The NW-SE Axis 220 The Eight Trigrams 222 Mural Production 226 4.1 Painting Workshop 227 Organisation 227 Painting Procedures 233 4.2 Drawings 243 Sketches 245 Designs 249 4.3 Mural Design 254 Loose Design 256 Joined Design 256 Integrated Design 259 Personalisation 266 5.1 Yongle Gong 266 Patronage 266 Number of Central Deities 269 Incorporation of Non-standard Deities 273 5.2 Toronto Murals 278 Ritual Configuration 278 Daoist Priest as Central Deity 284 5.3 Nan’an 301 Basic Ritual Format 302 De-emphasis of Imperial Figures 306 5.4 Beiyue Miao 310 Irregular Elements 311 Archaic Model 315 Conclusion 330 Tables 350 1. Yongle Gong Deities 350 2. Paintings of Daoist Deities in the Xuanhe Huapu 367 3. Mural Workshops in Shanxi Province, ca. 1100-1400 371 Bibliography 374 Classical Sources 374 Modern Sources 380 Index 396 History And Development. Four Phases ; The Development Of The Chao-audience Theme -- Iconography. Yongle Gong ; Toronto Murals ; Nan'an ; Beiyue Miao -- Ritiual Foundations. The Chao-audience Ritual ; Paintings In The Altar Setting ; Cosmology -- Mural Production. Painting Workshop ; Drawings ; Mural Design -- Personalisation. Yongle Gong ; Toronto Murals ; Nan'an ; Beiyue Miao -- Conclusion. By Lennert Gesterkamp. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book offers a comprehensive investigation into the history, iconography, ritual context, design, and personalisations by patrons of four Daoist temple paintings depicting a theme called Heavenly Court painting (chaoyuan tu) in China of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.