Chinese Imperial roof decoration
Name for a row of small animal figures, usually
made of glazed ceramic and placed on Chinese-style roofs, above the
eave near the corners,
which are always curved upward (fig.)
as it is believed in
feng shui that straight lines
attract evil, whereas curved lines ward off evil spirits.
These rows of
decorative roof ridge statuettes of mythical creatures both protect
the building and are used to indicate the importance of the person
found residing within it, with
nine
representing the highest possible level, i.e. the Emperor. These
animal figures always appear in odd numbers, as imperial
China
had a strict patriarchal system, and since
yang
represents both male and odd numbers. The statuettes appear in a
specific order and each embodies a particular virtue. The maximum
nine statuettes of animal figures may however be preceded by an
additional figure at the head of the row, namely an immortal riding
either a
kilen
or a
fenghuang, i.e. a mythical fowl or
bird similar to a phoenix and a symbol of virtue which
turns bad luck into good,
whereas at
the tail of the procession may be an imperial
dragon, a symbol of
imperial authority. The other animals, their number varying
according to the significance of the building and thus indicating
the importance of duties performed within it, are mostly
quadrupeds, usually mythical
in nature.
The nine animals are sometimes said to be the [sons of the]
Nine Dragons. However, there are
also exceptions to the
maximum number of nine, such as in the
Forbidden City
(fig.) in Beijing, where
the roof of the Emperor's Hall of Supreme Harmony, located at the
central axis, has
the highest possible level of
nine Chinese Imperial roof decorations which are preceded and
followed by some rooftop additional figures, namely preceded by an
immortal riding a phoenix and followed by an additional figure known as a
Hangshi,
i.e. a sword-wielding,
monkey-faced
immortal guardian that wards off demons and whose name literally
means ‘ranks tenth’, and which is in turn followed by an imperial
dragon (fig.). Their function is evil-dispelling and they are
all-but-two are
squatted, four-footed animals, the odd ones out being a
fish
and a mythical bird-like creature which are situated fourthly and
secondly, respectively in the row of nine.
Imperial roof decorations can be found
all over Southeast Asia and the Far East, especially with Chinese
temples. Also referred to as roof figures, roof tree or roof charms and
comparable to the Thai temple roof fittings, called
kreuang pradap langka wat
(fig.).
In Chinese called
ji xiang shou,
dun shou,
zou shou, or
yan shou.
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