Cleveland Museum of Art

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Search the Mountain: Leaf 41

Date

1200s

Medium

Album, ink on paper

Culture

China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The principal—and largest—figure in this leaf depicts Erlang, a celestial commander in a popular myth. Here he wears full armor and holds his sword. Seated by a pine tree, he orders his celestial army to rid Mt. Guankou of the undesirable creatures in the wilderness, including a wolf, a small alligator, and a monkey dressed in human clothes. This subject was first painted by a Northern Song artist, Gao Yi, and remained popular through the Southern Song period and during the Ming dynasty. In this album, the Soushan Tu 搜山圖 (Search the Mountain) uses 10 leaves to complete its imagery. This is now the earliest known version of the narrative, as Gao Yi’s has not survived. A commander in armor is seated on a devil, surrounded by three more. One of his lieutenants (right) is whirling a snake in the air. On the left, demon-soldiers surround a monkey with human body.

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