Towering to Cloudy Sky

A deity of the Daoist pantheon, Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Tianshi) had the magical power of manipulating wind, rain, thunder, and lightening to kill ghosts and ward off demons. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, he became a beloved character in folk religion and popular theater with his portraits being widely worshiped among country folks. Luo Pin’s personal interpretation has Master Zhang dressed as a Daoist immortal: he wears a ceremonial robe worn by a priest officiating at a ritual, with a tablet in his hands.

Written during a Dragon Boat Festival held to wipe out misfortunes, Luo’s playful poem describes the subject:

“If one method of magic does not give results, he uses another. In this old man’s sleeves there are millions of magical tricks. If [my pictures] could really bring in gold, all households would invite me to paint images of bodhisattvas. There is no need to say whether there are ghosts, no difference; whether in hurricane or thunderstorm, daytime or night, he will do everything in his power to get rid of them. Then all the young ghosts will be tied up with knots.”