teikan-zu　帝鑑図

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Ch: Dijiantu. The genre of paintings of advice and admonition *kankai-zu 勧戒図 or didactic paintings which depict the deeds of famous Chinese emperors. The genre is based on the Chinese book Dijian Tushuo (Jp:TEIKAN ZUSETSU 帝鑑図説, Illustrated Mirror of Emperors) which was written by the Ming scholar Zhang Juzheng (Jp: Chou Kyoshou 張居正, 1525-82), published with illustrations in 1572, and presented to Emperor Shenzong (Jp: Shinsou 神宗, 1048- 85). Of the 117 stories, 81 tell of imperial good deeds and 36 tell of wicked emperors. The accounts begin with the legendary Xia dynasty Emperors Yao 尭 and Shun 舜 two rulers of the Northern Song. The TEIKAN ZUSETSU reached Japan in the Momoyama period and Toyotomi Hideyori 豊臣秀頼 (1593-1615) had it copied and republished in 1606. Teikan-zu often were painted by Kanou school *Kanouha 狩野派 artists for shogun patrons, because Japanese military rulers felt that the Confucian values espoused in teikan-zu helped legitimize their hegemony. Typically, they commissioned paintings only of righteous emperors, particularly those from the Han dynasty. Noteworthy examples include the screen by Kanou Sanraku 狩野山楽 (1559-1635, Tokyo National Mnseum) and wall paintings at Nagoyajou 名古屋城 by Kanou Tan'yuu 狩野探幽 (1602-74).

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