Stone Baluster Head

Feb 15th, 2007
Posted by handicraft

Important halls,towers and pavilions in the old palaces of China normally stand on terraces.These are bordered with marble balustrades;so are many historic bridges of stone.The upright posts or balusters supporting them,called wangzhu in Chinese,have heads sculpted in the shapes of dragons,phoenixes,lions,flames,and so on.They are not only highly ornamental but served to reflect hierarchical ranks.

 
Dragon-and-phoenix images on baluster heads were exclusive to imperial buildings.These legendary creatures,carved with clouds,are often placed on top of the stone posts around audience halls,palace gates and halls of worship.They are,however,found in the greatest concentration around the group of buildings known as San Da Dian(The Three Great Halls)in Beijing's Forbidden City.These halls stand majestic on a terrace of three tiers,each of which is surrounded by a white marble balustrade.The 1,460 balusters,viewed from a distance,look like a "Stone Forest: and give the halls an ethereal loftiness.This arrangement is unique to "The Three Great Halls" as the site where the emperor held grand ceremonies,received his ministers and issued important edicts.For people of a lesser rank to use this magnificent layout or the dragon-and-phoenix motif would be a crime punishable as high treason.

The differentiation of status is most noticeable on the five bridges spanning the Golden Water River just inside Wumen,the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City.The middle bridge,i.e.,the one used by the emperor,has balusters topped with carved dragons and clouds,whereas the other four have on the baluster crowns designs of flames as ormaments and symbols of illumination.For the lesser buildings on the palace grounds,the decorations for stone baluster heads are generally ruyi*,pomegranates,lions and others which signify good luck,happiness and longevity.

At the eastern end of the Golden Water River there is a baluster whose head could be used as a siren.Varved in the Qing Dynast(1616-1911)in the form of fire-flames over a lotus blossom,the post has an opening running from the top to a string of beads under the flower.In case of an emergency,the guard could blow into the top hole and the baluster head would sound warning alarms like a horn.

*An ornamental object as a symbol of good luck.

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