Rubbing

Ceiling Structure with Various Animals and Figures from Tomb 8 of Shiziwan, Leshan.This rubbing is one of the more complicated in the collection due to the variety of depictions. On the right a bracket brace can be seen on which a serpent coils around its right bracket. Lower on the pole of the bracket, a sheng can be seen such as the one depicted in 85-37-52-a reference to Xiwangmu. On the lintel, a tiger and a dragon can be seen facing one another which is a common way of depicting those two directional animals. Between them sits an object that is difficult to distinguish, but may be the turtle and snake style depiction of the tortoise of the north. Below the tiger, just to the left of the bracket stands an archer aiming at a bird which can be found on the lintel underneath the undulating body of the tiger. This may be a reference to the legendary archer Houyi because of the appearance of the sheng and the toad on the far left below the dragon which when taken together evoke the connections between the sun, Houyi, and Xiwangmu. On the far left is a figure standing on his head which may be related to ways of warding off demons. Black ink on rice paper. From Han tomb reliefs.