Wenchang Dijun (God of Literature) at the Wind Cave
Wenchang Dijun (God of Literature) at the Wind Cave
Wenchang Dijun (God of Literature) at the Wind Cave
Wenchang Dijun (God of Literature) at the Wind Cave

Currently not on view

Wenchang Dijun (God of Literature) at the Wind Cave,

1854 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Zhang Xianghai 張香海, carving agent, juren degree 1835
Chinese
Qing dynasty, 1644–1912
y1958-257

Information

Title
Wenchang Dijun (God of Literature) at the Wind Cave
Dates

1854 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Maker
Zhang Xianghai 張香海 , carving agent
Medium
Hanging scroll; blue ink rubbing on paper
Dimensions
image: 68 x 43 cm. (26 3/4 x 16 15/16 in.) 88.8 x 47.5 cm. (34 15/16 x 18 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of George Rowley
Object Number
y1958-257
Place Made

Asia, China

Inscription
Top: 四川梓潼縣七曲山帝君風洞像 “Portrait of [Wenchang 文昌] dijun at the Wind Cave in Mount Qiqu, Zitong County, Sichuan.” Left: Zhang Xianghai 張香海 (1835 juren degree), zi: Mouzi 牟子 大清咸豐甲寅[1854]閏七月 [知縣事山左張香海謹]摹上石 “On the 7th leap month of the jiayin cyclical year during the Xianfeng reign of the Great Qing, Zhang Xianghai from Shandong, the District Magistrate in charge of affairs, respectfully copied onto stone.”
Marks/Labels/Seals
“Zitong xian yin” 梓潼縣印, sq. relief (half characters, half magical figures)
Description

The Daoist deity Wenchang dijun (God of Literature) is depicted as an old scholar riding a white mount named Baite 白特, and accompanied on foot by two attendants, Tianlong (天聾 or Heaven-deaf) and Diya (地啞 or Earth-mute). Diya is in charge of the register recording the fate of scholars and students but is here shown carrying a qin instrument, while Baite is portrayed as an older man with a sword atop a large case, containing the deity’s large seal, strapped to his back. The trio has just journeyed through the Wind Cave in Mount Qiqu, which according to legend provided the deity with a magical passageway from his base in Zitong county, Sichuan, to the capital thousands of miles away. Wenchang dijun has traditionally been appealed to by writers and scholars in need of inspiration or help before an exam.

The name of the cave is inscribed above the entrance, and to the left is a waterway with hills and distant mountains in the background. At center above the scene an area of paper that was not inked has been left for a large seal belonging to Zitong county. A title is added across the top in seal-script calligraphy, and a short inscription with the date and carver is appended at left.

Culture
Chinese
Period
Qing
Type
rubbings
Subject
horses, equestrians, literature (writings), men, figures (representations)

IIIF manifest

The International Image Interoperability Framework, or IIIF, is an open standard for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. Visit iiif.io to learn more.

Open API URL

Our API is generally designed to provide programmatic access to the Museum's collections data for applications that require regular updates and/or the ability to dynamically query and filter the data via the endpoints provided.

Share your feedback with us

The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

Explore More

Holidays at the Museum

Princeton Collects

Mosaic Restaurant