Mawangdui No.1 Han Tomb, Changsha

Basicinformation

Booktitle:MawangduiNo.1HanTombinChangsha

Author:HunanProvincialMuseum,ChineseAcademyofSciencesEditedbyInstituteofArchaeology

PublishingHouse:CulturalRelicsPublishingHouse

Publishingdate:1973edition

Articleexcerpt

ThefemalecorpseisthewifeofChangshaDi[dài代]HouLicang,buriedinADAround166yearsago.Thestructureofthetombisextremelycomplicated.Thesix-layercoffinisnestedandfilledwithcharcoalaround30to40cmthick.Thecharcoalisfilledwithwhiteplasterandsealedupto60to130cmthick.Thisshouldbethemainreasonwhythecorpsedoesnotrot.Alargenumberoflacquerware,silkbooks,silkpaintings,variousmusicalinstruments,bambooslips,woodenfigurines,agriculturalandlivestockproducts,andChineseherbalmedicineswerealsounearthedfromTombNo.1andNo.3HanTomb.

LiuShengandZhuhoubothlivedintheearlyWesternHanDynasty.Theculturalrelicsunearthedfromthetombsshowthedevelopmentofsocialproductivityatthattime.AmongthehistoricalsitesandtombsleftoverfromtheHanDynasty,alargenumberoftombmuralsandstoneportraitsarealsopreserved,reflectingthehighachievementsoftheHanDynastyart.Thetombmuralsarethemuralspaintedonthefourwalls,thetopofthetombandonbothsidesofthetombpassage.TherearealotofHantombmuralsdiscoveredinthiscentury.ThefamousonesarethemuralsofthetombofBoQianqiuinLuoyang,Henan,themuralsoftheWesternHantombsinLuoyangWangchengPark,themuralsofHantombsinLiaoyang,themuralsofHantombsinYingchengzi,Liaoning,andtheEasternHantombsinInnerMongoliaandLinger,HebeiWangduMuralTomb,etc.

ThestoneportraitsoftheHanDynastygenerallyrefertostoneportraitsandtiles.Thedecorativestonecarvingsontheancestralhallsinfrontofthetombs,thedoorlintelsofthetombs,andthecoffinsarecalledstoneportraits.Theportraitbrickisakindofbrickinlaidonthewallsofthetombandthebuilding.Theconcaveandconvexlinesofthebrickpicturearefirstpressedbyawoodenmold,andthenfired.ThemoststonecarvingswerefoundinHenan,followedbyShandongandSichuan,andHebeiandLiaoningalso.ThemostfamousstoneportraitswereunearthedattheNanyangHanPortraitMuseuminHenan,WuliangTempleinJiaxiangCounty,Shandong,andGuo'sTombinXiaotangMountain,ChangqingCounty,Shandong.ThesetombmuralsandstonemuralsreflectsomeofthecommoncharacteristicsofHanpaintings.Therearethreemaintypesofcontent:oneismythsandlegends,thefiveelementsofyinandyang,thesun,themoon,andthestars.ThecontentofthiscategoryrepresentshistoricalstoriesfromancienttimestotheSpring,AutumnandWarringStatesandtheQinandHanDynasties;thethirdcategoryrepresentsthecontentofthesecularlifeofthenobility,suchasfeasting,ahundredshows,cooking,hunting,andtravelingonhorsesandhorses.TheartisticstyleofHanpaintingsisalsosimpleandnaive.Thepaintingsarefilledwithpeopleandgods,withallthingsintertwined,andfullofvitality.Thecompositionisalwaysfull,withouttalkingaboutthedistance,leavingnoblank,andoverwhelming,butitiscolorfulanddazzling,showinganopenmindandmagnificentspirit.Thiskindofwildandvigorouspaintingstyleandvigorousandpowerfulforceisunattainablebyfuturegenerationsofart.