Caisson is a form of ceiling, which is stacked using traditional mortise and tenon joints and brackets. It is a unique architectural decoration technology in China.
There are layers upon layers, like umbrellas and lids. On the rim of the carved vat, evenly spaced heads form beautiful arcs, rising in a spiral shape and converging on the center of the convex top. The brightly colored gilding is paired with dark The combination of vermilion paint creates a majestic beauty.
The caisson in Cave 320 of the Mogao Grottoes in the Tang Dynasty
Li Yu mentioned in " Xian Qing Ou Ji ": "There are no rafters or tiles in the fine room. It is either covered with boards or papered to cover up the ugly appearance of the house. It is called Ceiling grid. ”
There are cross vertical and horizontal beams in traditional Chinese wooden buildings. In order to cover these exposed and unsightly beams, early grid caissons appeared, which are similar to the suspended ceiling design in modern buildings.
The caisson is like the sky
The caisson of Nanjing Museum
The emergence and development of the caisson contains strong traditional Chinese thought.
In ancient times, people had a natural awe and yearning for heaven. They dug caves to live, and the top openings were used for lighting and ventilation. Even after they moved from the caves to the ground, they still retained the form of skylights.
Looking up at the caisson, it looks like the sky. Shen Kuo's "Mengxi Bi Tan · Utensil Use" mentioned that caissons are "only palaces, temples and temples". It is precisely because of the reverence for heaven that caissons have become one of the symbols of China's feudal hierarchy. The caissons we see today above the Buddha statues in temples or above the emperor's throne in palaces are the devout offerings made by believers and the ruled to the people and gods they fear.
The caisson also contains simple Chinese philosophical thinking .
" Customs and Customs " of the Eastern Han Dynasty mentioned: "This hall is a patio. The well is the image of the east well, and the algae is the things in the water. They are all taken to avoid fire."
Because Ancient Chinese Architecture Most of them are wooden structures, so the meaning of "algae" is taken from the aquatic plant. It is hoped that the caisson can protect the building from fire.
The historical evolution of caissons
The original caisson refers to a ceiling decorated in a grid shape, and later gradually developed into a dome-like structure that is concave upward.
The style of early caissons is roughly "Yuanyuan Square Well", that is, the square wellhead is turned at 45° and inscribed twice in a square shape, with an inverted lotus carved or painted in the center. This basic structure became the basis for subsequent structural changes in various caisson wells.
Wang Yanshou of the Eastern Han Dynasty's " Lu Lingguang Palace Fu " has a detailed description of the caisson: "The round well is square, and the river is planted in the opposite direction. The hair is beautiful and blooming, the lotus is covered. The green house is purple, and it hangs down. Beads."
Such a caisson pattern can be seen vividly in the Dunhuang Grottoes murals. The representative pattern of the inverted lotus in the center gradually weakened through the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui Dynasty, and the early Tang Dynasty, and was gradually replaced by the centralized Baogai pattern.
The caisson in Yique Cave of Longmen Grottoes (Picture | Henan Culture and Tourism Network)
The changes in the caisson during the Sui and Tang Dynasties are closely related to the prosperity of Buddhism at that time, and its architectural layout shifted from the pagoda as the center to the Buddhist temple as the center. Mr. Bai Huawen mentioned in "A Brief Introduction to Chinese Buddhist Instruments and Clothing": In Chinese Buddhist temples, "a sky cover is used from where the Buddha and Bodhisattva are to the zenith, which is especially called a treasure cover."
One of the commonly used forms of Baogai indoors is to make the ceiling into a Baogai shape. Baogai is the top cover of the cars used by emperors and nobles when they travel or hold ceremonies. In addition to its practical functions of shielding from the sun and dust, the treasure cover is also a symbol of holiness and power. The treasure cover hanging above the Buddha statue is a symbol of the Buddha's journey. The Buddha will move when he walks, and the Buddha will stop when he stops. Therefore, the treasure cover style caisson has become one of the necessary supplies in the Buddhist temple.
At this point, caisson has a dual identity: as a caisson in a building, it is a practical component to expand the space above the indoor building; as a treasure cover, it is a gorgeous architectural decoration that shows luxury and dignity.
Bagua caisson in Tianhou Palace (Picture | Dancing Maple Leaf·Sina Blog)
In the Song Dynasty, " Creating French " compiled by the royal family divided the ceiling above the house into three categories: flat pavilion, flat base and caisson. There are clear specifications for the structure of the caisson, which is divided into "Douba" and "Small Douba" caissons. "Douba" means that the structure of the caisson is divided into three sections: upper, middle and lower. The lower end is square, most of which are supported by brackets. The support, with an octagonal shape in the middle and a dome in the middle, is suitable for the central or important parts of the room; the "small douba" is suitable for less important places and has a simpler structure. The caissons in the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties were mostly in the shape of Dou Ba. The structure is simple but has a trend of complexity.
The caisson in the Yangxin Hall of the Forbidden City (Picture | Zhuozi·Douban)
After the Ming Dynasty, the structure and form of the caisson have developed greatly. The caisson gradually evolved from simple to complex, from a practical structure to a decorative structure. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, in addition to the increase in size of caissons, the mirror at the top, which symbolizes the kingdom of heaven, began to increase in size, with lotus petals placed around it and a cloud and dragon painted in the center. Later, the central cloud dragon was increasingly emphasized. By the Qing Dynasty, it had become a group of vividly carved dragons, and the caisson also had another name: "Dragon Well". At this time, the caisson was extremely exquisite and magnificent.
Daoshanting spiral caisson (picture | The fragrance of tea drifts thousands of miles · 360 Library)
Xingtan square caisson (picture | Dingding.com)
Lukang Longshan Temple Bagua caisson (picture | fluttering maple leaves · Sina blog)
Ancient people's pair The production of caisson wells is very particular.
Zhang Heng wrote in "Xijing Fu": "The long beam of the majestic rainbow is connected with shackles, and the stems are placed in the caisson. They are hunted with red flowers, decorated with Chinese flowers and walls, and the scenery is flowing. "Hua Ye."
The caisson is formed by stacking mortises and tenon joints and brackets. It uses changes in rafters and beams to form different well centers, and then decorates them with different floral patterns according to different shapes. It is a unique creation. Unique. Almost all caissons adopt a axially symmetrical structure, so no matter how complicated the decoration is, the caissons always maintain a unique beauty of being complex but not chaotic, and complex but not complicated. Caissons are usually a combination of simple geometric shapes such as circles, squares, and octagons, which give the overall shape a strong sense of rhythm and order, making the architectural space appear tall, spacious, exquisite and unique.
Orphan art in the caisson
The earliest existing wooden caisson is the caisson on the Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Temple in Jixian County, Tianjin. It is the most basic structure of Dou Ba.
The caisson on the Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Temple in Jixian County
The caisson in the Zhengjue Hall of Fulong Temple in Beijing is a rare artistic orphan among Chinese caissons.
Longfu Temple is located at the northwest corner of the Dongsi intersection in Beijing. It was built in the third year of Jingtai in the Ming Dynasty (1452). It is a temple built by Emperor Zhu Qiyu of the Ming Dynasty. After being devastated by fires and earthquakes, it was moved from its original location, renovated, and now stored in the Taisui Hall of the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum (Xiannongtan). The Zhengjue Hall caisson is different from other caissons that are carved with aquatic plants or dragon patterns commonly used by the royal family. Instead, it is carved with 1,427 stars in the sky.
The caisson of Wanshan Zhengjue Hall in Longfu Temple (Picture | Yihe Wu Lao·Sina Blog)
Part of the caisson of Wanshan Zhengjue Hall in Longfu Temple (Picture | Yihe Wu Lao·Sina Blog)
The caisson is divided into six floors from bottom to top. : The rectangular main frame is finely carved with cloud patterns, and the four heavenly kings support the main body of the caisson. The lowest level of the main body, which is the first layer of circular moiré brackets, is flanked by brackets, which support thirty-two buildings. The buildings are in groups of three, separated by pavilions in the middle.
Part of the caisson of Wanshan Zhengjue Hall in Longfu Temple (Picture | Yihe Wu Lao·Sina Blog)
There are sixteen buildings on the second floor of circular moiré brackets, eight of which are three-bay Double eaves on the top of the mountain The eight buildings are pavilions with double eaves and rounded spires, and they are also connected by verandas.
Part of the caisson of Wanshan Zhengjue Hall in Longfu Temple (Picture | Yihe Wu Lao·Sina Blog)
There are also sixteen buildings on the third floor of the circular moiré bracket, eight of which have three-bay front buildings. Double-eaves Xieshan building, eight one-bay Xieshan buildings with single eyes connected to each other by corridors.
Part of the caisson of Wanshan Zhengjue Hall in Longfu Temple (Picture | Yihe Wu Lao·Sina Blog)
There are four buildings on the fourth floor of the square moiré bracket, one on each side. It is a three-bay double-eaves hilltop building with four buildings. There are eight corner verandas connected between them, with a star chart on the top. Although some components were lost and damaged due to the disaster, the exquisiteness of the caisson at that time can also be seen from the restored caisson.
Part of the caisson of Wanshan Zhengjue Hall in Longfu Temple (Picture | Yihe Wu Lao·Sina Blog)
Ancient Chinese craftsmen’s prayers for nature and awe of the majesty of those in power were all condensed in the caisson - this dome-like structure in wooden components.
If you are lucky enough to visit a historical site, you might as well look up and explore its story from the caisson. It is as bright as stars and is the most beautiful sky among ancient Chinese buildings.
Written by: Muzi Li
Editor: Qi Yuqing
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