The Patronage and Changing Roles of the Water-Land Paintings from Baoningsi: Focus on their endowment by Ming Emperors and repairs in the Qing Dynasty

Abstract

The 136 Water-Land paintings from Baoningsi, now at the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, China, are a set of hanging scrolls of the Ming dynasty that have been preserved almost completely. In addition, three documents related to the paintings survive: two records on the repairs to the paintings made in the Jianshen Year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign (1704) and the twentieth year of the Jiaqing Emperor’s reign (1815), and a list of patrons who contributed to the repair. Although previous studies only mention them as supplementary documents, they offer new insights in the understanding of the paintings.</br>The earliest record on the Baoningsi Water-Land paintings is about their bestowment by the emperor. As the Youyu area in Shanxi, where Baonignsi is located, was being threatened by the nomadic Mongol tribes and the chaos of the Crisis of Tumu at the time, the paintings were likely gifted to make a display of the Ming imperial power.</br>In 1704, the Eight Banners garrisons stationed in Youweicheng led the patronage for the paintings’ repair, with the local gentry and merchants also participating. In the eighteenth century, this was a way to bring people together and for local groups to demonstrate their power and exercise social influences. In the nineteenth century, the paintings’ social function changed once again. They were displayed every year on Buddha’s Birthday and was instrumental in bringing in financial contributions to the temple.</br>This study has focused on the changing roles of the Water-Land paintings. The records of their repairs enables the understanding of different functions a set of paintings can have according to political and social circumstances from Ming to late Qing.