Central chamber of the Mixian Dahuting 2 hao tomb 密縣打虎亭 2 號畫像石, 壁畫墓. (After: Huang 2003, Fig. 8)  

Contexts in source publication

Context 1

... the form of the ceilings represents the idea of a round heaven which covers the square earth. At first, the majority of ceilings have a flat middle section, sloping towards the walls (Fig. 2). When the walls do not form a square, they mostly form a rectangle. They are always designed in a quadrangular form. Later, round and dome-shaped vaults (Fig. 3) start to appear, and the ceiling with a flat middle section gradually disappears from the interior grave structure. The Zhoubi school claimed that the heaven was round as an open umbrella and the earth was square as a ...

Context 2

... the eternal cycles of the five xings, symbolizing heaven and celestial bodies in an organic whole with individual godlike creatures which are sometimes represented on the upper parts of the walls. It is especially the middle and lower parts of the walls that routinely depict scenes that reflect the real earthly life of the deceased and his soul (Fig. 3). Above the door, lintels, or walls above the door can be depicted guardians of the tomb either in the form of godlike creatures or in the form of real guardians. In some tombs, a brownred line even more clearly indicates the boundaries of heavenly and earthly scenes, and thereby bifurcate the interior of the tomb into a round heaven ...