Chinese Temple Scroll, Framed

An old man with a white beard, dragons at his shoulders, and no need to raise his voice.

This framed temple scroll, The Three Pures: To Ta, is Taoist, from China, and dates to the late 18th century. It is painted paper and cloth, by an unknown artist. The Three Pures are the highest deities of the Taoist pantheon, and scrolls of this kind were painted to hang during temple rites. A large seated elder dominates the composition, in green robes worked with gold dragons. Two haloed attendants stand below him, and more dragons coil through the blue and orange above. Seventy-six inches high and 41 wide.

He looks fully prepared to preside over any room he is given.