{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.caisson-q5017834","code":"thing-q5017834","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q5017834/","name":"caisson","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.5","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A caisson ceiling (zaojing), also called a spider web ceiling, in traditional East Asian, especially Chinese, architecture: an elaborate recessed, often domed ceiling feature, usually above an important seat or image, built of nested square, octagonal or circular tiers; timber examples use bracket construction, and Buddhist caves reproduce the form in paint or modelling.","purpose":"Let an agent describe caisson ceilings, their construction, symbolism and notable examples, and tell them from Western coffered ceilings.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["An elaborate recessed feature; a hall may have several, unlike Western coffered ceilings with repeated uniform panels.","Timber examples commonly use dougong bracket sets; cave examples are painted or modelled.","Some forms are read as round heaven over square earth, according to specific sources."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"form","name":"Form","description":"What it looks like.","layers":[{"id":"geometry","name":"Geometry","description":"Tiers and shapes.","findings":[{"id":"geometry","name":"Geometry","description":"Shape and tiers.","questions":[{"text":"What shape and how many tiers?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is it radiating like a web?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"decoration","name":"Decoration","description":"Carving and painting.","findings":[{"id":"decoration","name":"Decoration","description":"Motifs.","questions":[{"text":"Which motifs decorate it?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What is at the centre?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"construction","name":"Construction","description":"How it is built.","layers":[{"id":"structure","name":"Structure","description":"Brackets and beams.","findings":[{"id":"structure","name":"Structure","description":"Elements.","questions":[{"text":"Which structural elements form it?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is it load-bearing or decorative?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"materials","name":"Materials","description":"Timber and paint.","findings":[{"id":"materials","name":"Materials","description":"Materials.","questions":[{"text":"Which materials are used?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Have they been restored?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"meaning","name":"Meaning","description":"Symbolism and placement.","layers":[{"id":"placement","name":"Placement","description":"Above throne or altar.","findings":[{"id":"placement","name":"Placement","description":"Location in the building.","questions":[{"text":"Where in the building is it?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Why there?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"symbolism","name":"Symbolism","description":"Meanings.","findings":[{"id":"symbolism","name":"Symbolism","description":"Meaning and source.","questions":[{"text":"What does it symbolise?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"According to which source?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"examples","name":"Examples","description":"Notable caissons.","layers":[{"id":"buildings","name":"Buildings","description":"Locations.","findings":[{"id":"example","name":"Example","description":"Building and date.","questions":[{"text":"Which buildings have notable caissons?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"From when?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"protection","name":"Protection","description":"Heritage status.","findings":[{"id":"heritage-status","name":"Heritage status","description":"Listing.","questions":[{"text":"Is the building protected?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"At what level?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["describe forms, symbolism and examples"],"mustNot":["present uncertain attributions as fact"],"requiresHuman":[]},"ethics":{"considerations":["heritage conservation"],"affectedParties":["communities","visitors"]},"owners":{"steward":"the owner of each building, with heritage authorities for protected ones","roles":[],"masterSystems":["heritage registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q221706","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q811979","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"ceiling","type":"related","note":"architectural element"},{"target":"coffered ceiling","type":"related","note":"Western form"},{"target":"dougong","type":"related","note":"bracket system"},{"target":"Chinese palace and temple architecture","type":"related","note":"context"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.caisson-q5017834","Wikidata: Q5017834 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5017834)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Concentric tiers of brackets forming a recessed dome","Radiating, web-like patterns in some examples","A sunken, layered ceiling with brackets, carving and painting, often with a dragon or lotus at the centre."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["describe construction and forms","describe symbolism and placement","give notable examples","tell from coffered ceilings"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Decay and fire in timber buildings"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Heritage protection of historic buildings, such as China's Cultural Relics Protection Law"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Decorating and marking the most important space of a hall, such as above a throne or altar.","square and octagonal tiered caissons","circular caissons","spider-web (radiating) caissons"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Q5017834","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5017834","note":"identity of the registry item, labels and sitelinks"},{"title":"Zaojing","url":"https://www.dpm.org.cn/lemmas/241427.html","note":"Domed decoration, nested square, octagonal and circular forms, dragon motifs and important halls."},{"title":"Ceiling Decorations","url":"https://www.hkpm.org.hk/en/the-ways-in-patterns-4","note":"Palace examples, placement and round-heaven and square-earth symbolism."},{"title":"Mogao Cave 79","url":"https://www.dha.ac.cn/info/1425/3618.htm","note":"Painted cave caissons and lotus decoration."},{"title":"The Tianhua and Zaojing Ceilings of the Yongle Taoist Temple in Ruicheng, Shanxi Province","url":"https://www.jgcm.ac.cn/article/doi/10.12329/20969368.2021.03006","note":"Survey-based documentation of caisson forms and construction at Yongle Temple."},{"title":"Caisson (Asian architecture)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caisson_(Asian_architecture)","note":"'Spider web ceiling' synonym, multiple caissons in a hall and distinction from ordinary coffering."},{"title":"Law of the People's Republic of China on Cultural Relics Protection","url":"https://en.npc.gov.cn.cdurl.cn/2024-11/08/c_1115996.htm","note":"Heritage protection framework for qualifying historic buildings."}],"openQuestions":["Should the entry be named zaojing or caisson ceiling?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q5017834/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q5017834/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-10-21T21:05:06Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-22T10:17:00+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 6 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Caissons vary; dimensions belong to each ceiling."},"score":1.0}}