Taoist Ritual at
the Imperial Court
(left) detail
Jiao Bingzhen (active c. 1689—1726)
Qing dynasty, 1723/26
Hanging scroll; ink and colors on silk
358 x 157 cm
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
D.C.;
purchase, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program,
and partial gift of Richard G. Pritzlaff cat. no. 44
thank
you to the Art
Institute
of Chicago Taoism in Art exhibit
and
lessons
Taoist Ritual at the Imperial Court
This hanging scroll depicts a Taoist ritual at the
court of the Qing dynasty in Beijing. On the altar, an aristocrat
kneels beside the Taoist priest leading the ceremony, who is shown
under an umbrella. Four additional priests of lower rank stand to the
sides. Below the altar, there is an orchestra of chimes, bells, and
wind instruments playing music, an essential part of many Taoist
rituals.
The most distinctive feature of this ritual is the
altar, made from three levels of stacked tables. Taoist altars were
usually made of pressed earth. These traditional earthen altars
resemble the one shown here in that they were often temporary
structures that would be dismantled after the ritual.
The ritual depicted here was probably a repentance
(zhai) ceremony. In such a ceremony, the participants would confess
their faults and perform different acts of contrition.
Taoist Ritual
Despite its associations with individual spiritual pursuits, Taoism has
always been a religion of nation, community, and family. Ritual was the
primary expression of the religious needs and hopes of the community,
and most Taoist rituals were developed in response to these needs.
Rituals were performed for individuals at important transitional
periods in their lives, such as birth and death. The significance of
such moments, however, deeply affected their families. In the case of
the imperial house, such moments affected the entire nation.
Taoist priests used a number of sacred implements during rituals, each
of which held symbolic significance. Smoke from incense burners both
attracted the gods and carried messages from the community to the
heavens. Swords were used for exorcism and purification ceremonies, and
robes worn by the priest symbolized his power over the energies of the
cosmos. Scriptures and other religious documents were also considered
sacred and worshiped as embodiments of the Tao. Among the most
magnificent works of Taoist art to be preserved is the Ordination
Scroll of Empress Zhang.
| |
|
|
| |
|
Incense
in Ritual Video
56K T1
A
Taoist Festival Video
56K T1
QuickTime
plug-in required
Download QuickTime
|
Taoist Ritual
Despite its associations with individual spiritual pursuits, Taoism has
always been a religion of nation, community, and family. Ritual was the
primary expression of the religious needs and hopes of the community,
and most Taoist rituals were developed in response to these needs.
Rituals were performed for individuals at important transitional
periods in their lives, such as birth and death. The significance of
such moments, however, deeply affected their families. In the case of
the imperial house, such moments affected the entire nation.
Taoist priests used a number of sacred implements during rituals, each
of which held symbolic significance. Smoke from incense burners both
attracted the gods and carried messages from the community to the
heavens. Swords were used for exorcism and purification ceremonies, and
robes worn by the priest symbolized his power over the energies of the
cosmos. Scriptures and other religious documents were also considered
sacred and worshiped as embodiments of the Tao. Among the most
magnificent works of Taoist art to be preserved is the Ordination
Scroll of Empress Zhang. |
receive
a full HTML copy
of
the daily meditation sent directly to your
inbox, please send a note with the words "subscribe
tao" in the subject
line to duckdaotsu
