Thecaisson (Chinese:藻井;pinyin:zǎojǐng;lit. 'water plant well'), also referred to as acaisson ceiling, orspider web ceiling,[1] inChinese architecture is an architectural feature typically found in the ceiling oftemples andpalaces, usually at the centre and directly above the main throne, seat, or religious figure.[1][2]The caisson is generally a sunken panel set into the ceiling. It is often layered and richly decorated. Common shapes include squares, octagons, hexagons, circles, and a combination of these.[3]
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Thecaisson is a general name for acoffer.[4] In the case ofChinese architecture, however, the caisson is characterised by highly developed conventions as to its structure and placement.[2][5]
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 of thedougong (斗栱) structure, which, through interlocking structural members, as beams were not used, 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 thedougong members, are usually visible, richly carved and often painted with deities.[1]
The centre of the caisson is decorated with a largebas-relief carving or painting. Common themes include "twodragons chasing thepearl". Caissons in thethrone rooms of theForbidden City feature a large, writhingdragon, from whose mouth issue a chandelier-like structure called theYellow Emperor Mirror, a series of metal balls which are said to be able to show reflections of evil spirits.[6]
Caissons were originally used to supportskylights. Therefore, they are a relatively recent structure in Chinese architectural history.
The caisson has been found in tombs of theHan dynasty dating the use of this architectural feature back at least 2,000 years.[7] Besides subterranean structure, the oldest existent caisson in an above-ground structure is the one located above the 16-metre-tall (52 ft) statue ofGuanyin in the Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Monastery, Jixian,Hebei province, built in 984 during theLiao dynasty.[8] Without the use of interior columns, this ceiling is held up by a hidden second-floor four-sided frame with a hexagonal ceiling frame on the third floor.[8]
In traditionalChinese architecture, every facet of a building was decorated using various materials and techniques. Simple ceiling ornamentations in ordinary buildings were made of wooden strips and covered with paper. More decorative was thelattice ceiling, constructed of woven wooden strips orsorghum stems fastened to the beams. The most decorative and the most complex ceiling was the caisson.
Sanqing Hall (Hall of the Three Purities) is aYuan period structure with "three" zaojing in its ceiling. Azaojing is a wooden dome over an imperial throne or statue in Chinese architecture.[9]
As the caisson became increasingly standard in formal architecture in ancient China, similar structures also appeared inBuddhist grottos, such as inDunhuang.
Caissons were highly decorative and only included in important or highly decorated buildings. They had no specific cultural significance, since in structure they were equal tocupolas anddomes constructed around the world. However the rich ornamentation often conveyed cultural significance in the themes chosen and in display within the caissons.
