Portrait of the Daoist Zhang Xian,

1048 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Portrait of the Daoist Zhang Xian

1048 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Su Xun 蘇洵 , inscriber

Hanging scroll; ink rubbing on paper

image: 74 x 33.2 cm. (29 1/8 x 13 1/16 in.) 97.8 x 37.5 cm. (38 1/2 x 14 3/4 in.)

Gift of George Rowley

y1958-137

Asia, China

Upper: Su Xun 蘇洵 (1009-1066), “Inscription on the Portrait of Zhang Xian,” 題張僊畫像: 洵嘗於天聖庚午[1030] 重九日至玉局觀，無 礙子肆中見一畫 像，筆法清奇，乃： 張仙也。有禱必應。 因解玉環易之。洵 嘗無嗣，每旦露香 以告，逮數年，乃得 軾，又得轍，性皆嗜 書。乃知真人急於 接物，而無礙子之 言不吾妄矣。故識 其本末，使異時欲 祈嗣者於此加敬 云。 慶曆戊子[1048] 上元日拜章。罷蘇 洵稽首書 Draft translation: “On the Double Ninth day of the gengwu cyclical year in the Tiansheng reign, [Su] Xun went to the Yuju Guan monastery. During an offering to deter impediments to having children he saw a painted portrait in elegant and special brushwork; [this was a portrait] of Zhang Xian. [It was said that] prayers [to this portrait] would be answered, so [Su Xun] exchanged a jade huan ring for it. Xun did not have children and everyday burned incense and prayed [to it]. After several years, he got [his sons] [Su] Shi and [Su] Zhe, both of whom were studious by nature. From this we know that the Immortal is eager to help and connect with people, and my words [prayers to Zhang Xian] to deter impediments to having children are not nonsense. For this reason, I record them from start to finish to let those in the future who want to pray for children and [so that after their prayers are also answered they] can add to these words of respect, words of their own. Praying on the shangyuan day [i.e., 15th day of 1st month] in the wuzi cyclical year of the Qingli reign. Su Xun from Ba [i.e., Sichuan], writes with bowed head. Notes: 1. Yuju Guan玉局觀, a Daoist monastery during the Song dynasty located north of Chengdu, Sichuan province. Lower: Su Xun 蘇洵 (1009-1066), offering prayer to Zhang Xian: 維某年某月某日， 具位某等昭告於 真人曰：惟 神好生為德，化行四 海。某等不德所召， 艱於嗣息，堇皈 遺教，瞻奉尊顏。 仰覬 神庥，下從愚悃。品儀 不腆，神其鑒佑 。 尚饗。 夫婦行四拜禮，詣 香案上香、獻酒、讀 祝，再四拜。焚祝禮 畢， 用細米粉圓 成彈子，染五色，煮 熟共一盤，茶三甌， 酒三盞，棗湯三甌， 鹿脯一方，無則 以羊肉代之， 時果三品，不用 錢馬。 用仲春 仲秋上旬 宜祭祀日。 Draft translation: “On X day of the Y month in the Z year, in reverence we announce to the Immortal, saying: The Deity loves and protects life as a virtue, putting this into force across the Four Seas. We who lack virtue . . . have had difficulty in having sons . . . . I beg you partake of this sacrifice. Husband and wife will carry out the ritual of bowing four times, advance to the altar table with censers and light the incense, offer wine, read the prayer, and the bow four more times. The ritual of burning the prayer completed, use fine rice powder and roll them into pellets, color them in five colors, boil them together in a basin, [and also offer] three cups of tea, three small cups of wine, three cups of date soup, and a piece of deer breast. If without [deer breast] use mutton as a substitute for it. [Also offer] three seasonal fruits, but do not use qianma (votive money). Use the first third of the second months of spring or autumn to announce the day of the sacrifice.

Collector seals: Unknown “Zeng [] [] yin” 曾[] []印, sq. relief (right top corner) “Zeng [] [] yin” 曾[] []印, sq. relief (left bottom corner)

Zhang Xian (Immortal Zhang) was a Daoist deity who is the enemy of the Celestial Dog (tiangou天狗), a dog-like creature that eats the moon, causing eclipses. Zhang Xian is believed to protect children from this dog spirit with his bow and arrows.
Many prayed to him for male offspring and to protect their living children. In this rubbing, Zhang Xian sits outdoors on a seat made of rocks beside a tree. Behind him stands a boy holding his bow. In front at left, a youth offers a tray of food. Another youth holding a scepter stands at right looking down at two infants playing on the ground with a toad. Beyond the balustrade at rear, the Celestial Dog can be seen floating in the sky at upper right.

Above is a Su Xun 蘇洵 (1009-1066) two-part inscription composed in 1048. At top Su Xun tells how in1030 he traveled to the Yuju Guan monastery in Chengdu and saw a portrait of Zhang Xian that was said to efficacious in granting prayers for children. He traded a jade ornament for it and after several years of making offerings, his prayers were answered with the births of his sons Su Shi 蘇軾 (1036-1101) and Su Zhe 蘇轍 (or Su Che, 1039-1112). Below, written in smaller script, Su Xun outlines the offering ritual he followed so that others can benefit.

Chinese

rubbings

men, figures (representations), Buddhism