Cleveland Museum of Art

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 3

Date

1200s

Medium

Album, ink on paper

Culture

China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This extraordinary album has 50 paintings on a variety of religious subjects. They were likely created by several master craftsmen to share with studio apprentices as models for fulfilling commissions. The Jade Emperor and the Daoist pantheon make up the first 26 leaves. On this leaf, the fourth in the album, the Jade Emperor 玉帝 rides over a cloud in his chariot surrounded by his retinue. The next 14 leaves portray the Buddhist Ten Kings of Hell administering punishments to the dead. The third section, called “Clearing the Mountains,” features divine soldiers, led presumably by the deity Erlang Shen 二郎神, fighting undesirable creatures. A female attendant holds a tray with a rocky formation, which provides a clue to the Emperor's identity.

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