teikan-zu　帝鑑図

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Ch: Dijiantu. The genre of "paintings of advice and admonition" *kankai-zu 勧戒図 or didactic paintings which depict the deeds of famous Chinese emperors. The genre is based on the Chinese book Dijian Tushuo (Jp:TEIKAN ZUSETSU 帝鑑図説) or "Illustrated Mirror of Emperors" which was written by the Ming scholar Zhang Juzheng 張居正 (1525-82), published with illustrations in 1572, and presented to Emperor Shenzong 神宗 (1048-1085). Of the 117 stories, 81 tell of imperial good deeds and 36 tell of wicked emperors. The accounts begin with the legendary Xia dynasty Emperors Yao 尭 and Shun 舜 two rulers of the Northern Song. The TEIKAN ZUSETSU reached Japan in the Momoyama period and Toyotomi Hideyori 豊臣秀頼 (1593-1615) had it copied and republished in 1606. Teikan-zu often were painted by Kanou school *Kanouha 狩野派 artists for shogun patrons, because Japanese military rulers felt that the Confucian values espoused in teikan-zu helped legitimize their hegemony. Typically, they commissioned paintings only of�righteous emperors, particularly those from the Han dynasty. Noteworthy examples include the screen by Kanou Sanraku 狩野山楽 (1559-1635, Tokyo National Mnseum) and wall paintings at Nagoyajou 名古屋城 by Kanou Tan'yuu 狩野探幽 (1602-74).

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。