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Secondary sourcePaintingearly Republican era (民国初期)

Taishang Laojun, Deified Laozi (Early Republican Print)

early Republican era (民国初期)

A printed image from the early Republican era showing Taishang Laojun, the deified form of Laozi, seated on a throne with attendants.

Shows Laozi in his later deified form, Taishang Laojun, as he was pictured in popular religious prints.

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A woodblock-style print on yellowed paper showing an elderly bearded man with a crown seated on a throne, holding a fan-like object, flanked by two young attendants holding objects. Chinese characters 太上老君 appear at the top. The paper is torn at the edges and a color calibration strip is below.
Taishang Laojun (太上老君), printed image, early Republican era, China. Commons file scan.

About this source

What it is

This is a woodblock-style print from the early Republican era of China, held as a single sheet. The paper has yellowed and is torn at the edges. The image shows an elderly bearded man with a crown, seated on a throne and holding a fan-like object, flanked by two young attendants who hold objects. The Chinese characters 太上老君 (Taishang Laojun) appear at the top.

Why it matters

Taishang Laojun is the deified form of Laozi, the semi-legendary philosopher of the 6th century BCE who is traditionally credited with the Dao De Jing. Printed images like this one spread popular Taoist beliefs to ordinary people, showing how the philosopher was reshaped into a god in religious imagery over the centuries.

Look closer

  • What objects does the figure hold, and what might they signify to a believer?
  • Why do you think the attendants are shown as young and smaller?
  • What does this single print leave out about how it was used or who bought it?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Laozi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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