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The Caisson (Chinese: 藻井; pinyin: zǎojǐng; literally "algae well") in East Asian architecture is an archiectural feature typically found in the ceiling of temples and palaces, usually at the centre and directly above the main throne, seat, or religious figure. The caisson is generally a sunken panel set into the otherwise largely flat ceiling. It is often layered and richly decoracted. Common shapes include square, octagon, hexagon, circle, and a combination of these. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1952, 2007 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Forbidden City Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1952, 2007 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Forbidden City Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used...
This article is about the Chinese imperial palace in Beijing. ...
Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), commonly called Pinyin, is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...
East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ...
Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ...
The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ...
Name
The caisson is a general name for any sunken panel placed in the ceiling. In the case of East Asian architecture, however, the caisson is characterised by highly developed conventions as to its structure and placement. View of the Grand Hotel from near its entrance The Grand Hotel, built in 1952, is an iconic landmark in Taipei, and is operated as a non-profit organisation. ...
For other uses, see Taipei (disambiguation). ...
East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ...
Structure The caisson is a sunken panel placed in the centre of the ceiling. It is raised above the level of the ceiling through the use the dougong (斗栱) structure, which, through interlocking structural members, creates successive levels of diminishing size. Beams may also be used to create a hexagonal or octagonal caisson surrounded by a square border. These beams, and the dougong members, are usually visible, and richly carved and often painted.
The centre of the caisson is decorated with a large base relief carving or painting. Common themes include "two dragons chasing the pearl. Caissons in the throne rooms of the Forbidden City feature a large, writhing dragon, from whose mouth issue a chandelier-like structure called the Xuanyuan Mirror, a series of metal balls which are said to be able to show reflections of evil spirits. The Chinese dragon (spelled Long, Loong or Lung in transliteration), is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. ...
This article is about the Chinese imperial palace in Beijing. ...
Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor or Huang Di (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: huángdì) is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. ...
Caissons were originally used to support skylights. However, they became increasingly intricate and formalised, and were in later periods a standard item of interior decoration in formal buildings. A window is an opening in an otherwise solid and opaque surface through which light and, sometimes, air can pass. ...
A modern take on the caisson, in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. this example combines features of the square, octagonal, and round caissons. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall The view of the memorial hall from the Concert Hall. ...
For other uses, see Taipei (disambiguation). ...
Use in grottos As the caisson became increasingly standard in formal architecture in ancient China, similar structures also appeared in Buddhist grottos, such as in Dunhuang. These sunken panels in the ceiling of grottos would be carved to imitate the dougong-based structure in wooden buildings. Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion and a philosophy. ...
Location of Dunhuang Dunhuang (Chinese: 敦煌, also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; pinyin: Dūnhuáng; ) is a city in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China. ...
Cultural significance As well as being decorative, caissons are associated with the element of Water (being an "algae well"), and thus is believed to help prevent fire, an important concern in the predominantly wooden buildings of classical Chinese architecture. Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (ç«) Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (æ°´) Japanese Earth (地) | Water (æ°´) | Fire (ç«) | Air / Wind (風) | Void / Sky / Heaven (空) Hinduism and Buddhism Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Water has been important to all peoples of the earth, and it is rich in spiritual tradition. ...
Cable tool water well drilling rig in Kimball, West Virginia. ...
Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in Asia over the centuries. ...
See also Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in Asia over the centuries. ...
This article is about the Chinese imperial palace in Beijing. ...
External links - Baoguo Temple - Dougong and caisson structures
- A collection of caisson images at Fotoe.com
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