Artwork

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 23

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 23 is an unspecified painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1204 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The painting is a leaf from a larger album illustrating Daoist deities associated with the twelve months of the lunar calendar.

About this work

If you want to see more like this, look up *subject: china, southern song dynasty (1127-1279)*.

You see six figures in long robes, each holding a plaque with Chinese writing. They float against a plain background, lined up like a parade.

These aren’t just any figures—they’re Daoist deities, each tied to a month of the year. The first six months are here; the next six appear on another page. The names on their plaques tell you exactly who they are.

If you want to see more like this, look up *subject: china, southern song dynasty (1127-1279)*.

Overview

The painting is a leaf from a larger album illustrating Daoist deities associated with the twelve months of the lunar calendar. This particular sheet, identified as leaf 23, depicts the first six month‑deities, each rendered in flowing robes and holding a name plaque. The figures are arranged in a linear procession against an unadorned background, emphasizing their individual identities.

Subject & Meaning

Each figure represents a Daoist deity linked to a specific month, serving as a celestial officer for that period. The plaques they bear display the Chinese characters of their names, making the calendar function explicit. Together they embody the Daoist concept of seasonal governance, where divine agents oversee the passage of time.

Technique & Style

The work employs delicate brushwork to outline the elongated robes and the suspended plaques, while the flat, featureless background isolates the figures. The composition’s orderly alignment suggests a ceremonial parade, a common visual device in Southern Song court paintings for conveying rank and order.

History & Provenance

Created during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), the leaf belongs to an album that pairs Daoist and Buddhist themes. The companion leaf, number 24, continues the series with the deities for months seven through twelve, indicating the album’s intended completeness as a twelve‑month cycle.

Context

The album reflects the period’s syncretic religious climate, where Daoist calendrical deities were often documented alongside Buddhist iconography. Such albums served both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing visual reference for ritual calendars used in imperial and monastic settings.