Jade Emperor 玉皇上帝 清末民初

The Jade Emperor is the highest god in Chinese folk religion. He rules in heaven, where he oversees human behaviors through the help of his subordinates. Each of these messengers reports to a superior god in a hierarchical structure similar to that of the imperial government. Here, the Emperor is in his court ready to summon his aides. He is flanked by four attendants, one of whom holds the god’s square seal and another has his papers.

Bequest of Laurence Sickman