Chinese Visual Elements
Fahr-Becker, Gabriele. 2000. “Arte dell’Estremo Oriente”. Koln: Konemann 724.
Reliquary consisting of a stupa resting on a terrace. In China, it is a tower with a polygonal plan – generally octagonal – and an odd number of floors (from 7 to a maximum of 13). It is decorated with painted terracotta and stands on hills, in a dominant position due to their symbolic and propitiatory character. As in other types of buildings in China, the roofs have raised corners, ending with dragons and grotesque decorations, whose function is to ward off evil spirits, which according to legend can only penetrate through right angles.
pagoda