Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Search the Mountain: Leaf 41

The principal—and largest—figure in this leaf depicts Erlang, a celestial commander in a popular myth. Here he wears full armor and holds his sword. Seated by a pine tree, he orders his celestial army to rid Mt. Guankou of the undesirable creatures in the wilderness, including a wolf, a small alligator, and a monkey dressed in human clothes. <br><br>This subject was first painted by a Northern Song artist, Gao Yi, and remained popular through the Southern Song period and during the Ming dynasty. In this album, the <em>Soushan Tu </em>搜山圖 (Search the Mountain) uses 10 leaves to complete its imagery. This is now the earliest known version of the narrative, as Gao Yi’s has not survived.