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for Chinese architecture see: zaojing

The Caisson (Chinese: 藻井; pinyin: zǎojǐng; lit. 'algae well') in East Asian architecture is an archiectural feature typically found in the ceiling of temples and palaces, usually at the centre and directly above the main throne, seat, or religious figure. The caisson is generally a sunken panel set into the otherwise largely flat ceiling. It is often layered and richly decoracted. Common shapes include square, octagon, hexagon, circle, and a combination of these.

Name

The caisson is a general name for any sunken panel placed in the ceiling. In the case of East Asian architecture, however, the caisson is characterised by highly developed conventions as to its structure and placement.

Structure

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 the dougong (斗栱) structure, which, through interlocking structural members, 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 the dougong members, are usually visible, and richly carved and often painted.

The centre of the caisson is decorated with a large bas-relief carving or painting. Common themes include "two dragons chasing the pearl. Caissons in the throne rooms of the Forbidden City feature a large, writhing dragon, from whose mouth issue a chandelier-like structure called the Xuanyuan Mirror, a series of metal balls which are said to be able to show reflections of evil spirits.

Caissons were originally used to support skylights. However, they became increasingly intricate and formalised, and were in later periods a standard item of interior decoration in formal buildings.

Use in grottos

As the caisson became increasingly standard in formal architecture in ancient China, similar structures also appeared in Buddhist grottos, such as in Dunhuang. These sunken panels in the ceiling of grottos would be carved to imitate the dougong-based structure in wooden buildings.

Cultural significance

As well as being decorative, caissons are associated with the element of Water (being an "algae well" or zaojing), and thus is believed to help prevent fire, an important concern in the predominantly wooden buildings of classical Chinese architecture.

See also

• Chinese architecture
• Forbidden City

External links

• Baoguo Temple - Dougong and caisson structures
• A collection of caisson images at Fotoe.com

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