Daoism's Homage To The Highest Power

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The artwork “Homage to the Highest Power” in ROM collection was found in Sanqing Hall of the Longmen monastery in Shanxi Province, China. It was create by an unknown artist using ink and colour on clay. The piece is from the time c.1300 CE during Yuan dynasty, which is one of the most booming times in Chinese ancient history. During that time, the emperor of Yuan unified the entire China, ended the four hundred years a division since the late Tang dynasty (c.836 CE), and at that period the society is of great prosperity for culture and art. The rulers were generous patrons of arts, the Chinese scholars and painters are often present in the courts of Yuan kings and nobles. Moreover, the murals from Sanqing Hall are the highest example of mural …show more content…

Daoism is an ancient school of thought. As James Miller, a Professor of Chinese Studies in the School of Religion at Queen’s University declared,“ [t]he most important definition of Daoism that has been drawn up by scholars is that Daoism is the organized, indigenous religion of China” (Miller). The Daoism have manage the relationships with text as,“ Daoists have long had a deep and abiding affinity with nature, but the ways in which they deal with the natural environment on a religious level are perhaps quite different than on would expect” (Miller). It respect nature, and can be seen as the keep harmony with nature and being perceived like average as the religion. Many Daoist luminaries have preferred a life of contemplation to pursuit of earthly power. More important, the Daoism is regarded as state religion in Yuan dynasty. For the way that the artist create the mural as the media, it shows the highly respect to the Daoism, because mural is not an easy way to create a painting also it is huge than normal painting. Ancient Chinese Mural have three main forms, as ancient Chinese tomb murals; ancient Chinese cave murals; and ancient Chinese temple murals. The “Homage to the Highest Power” is temple murals, which is really similar to the mural “the Painting of Chaoyuan” at the Sanqing Hall in Shansi province. Li Li, a member of the China Archaeology Society and Associate mentioned, “the mural in Yuan Dynasty were most likelu to depict two major scenarios: first, the ceremonies indicating the status of the dead and second, the male and female servants in imperial court life” (Li). Through the form that people draw on the wall in the temple, it shows the respect from people to the deities and the Daoism. Also “[a]ll figures int eh murals were vivid and finely drawn. The single and group portraits are all regarded as masterpieces of

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