The Azure Dragon and the Vermilion Bird

Xin Dynasty (9-23 AD). 21cm*90cm. Mural Painting in tomb of the Xin Dynasty, Jin'guyuan, Luoyang, Henan Province. Collection of the Luoyang Museum of Ancient Tombs.

From a newly excavated tomb near Luoyang, it can be observed that there was a significant change in the mural art of tombs during this period. On the walls of the rear chamber of the burial chamber, there are paintings of the four mythical creatures: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise, along with other divine figures and mythical beasts. The top of the burial chamber is decorated with a checkered pattern depicting celestial bodies and directional symbols. On the ceiling of the antechamber, there are five round protuberances surrounded by colored circles, forming a "Five Elements" pattern.

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.