Painted wooden coffin

Painted wooden coffin from the early Liao dynasty, unearthed in 1965 from a tomb north of Chifeng.

The piece is composed of three parts: the casket, the casket base, and the four-legged pedestal. The base has inlaid xumizuo patterns. This is a term derived from Sanskrit; the design is the equivalent of the "Diamond Throne" of Buddhist iconography, reaching back into India. The casket cover is painted with a design of entwined peonies. As is typical in China, more than one religious tradition is present in the symbolism of important objects. Here, the Daoist deities of the four cardinal points - the green dragon, the white tiger, the vermillion bird, and the tortoise with snake - are painted on the sides of the casket. There were originally two small doors on the large end of the casket; these were painted with two maidservants, one raising a toiletry case and the other holding a mirror.

GENGHIS KHAN: TREASURES OF INNER MONGOLIA was organized and circulated by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.

Credits Photographer: Marc Carter. Source: Collection of the Chifeng Municipal Museum

Caption source: Adam T. Kessler (1994) Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Adapted from pp. 110-111.

Image source: Photo CD 6315 3021 1433, Image # 006