Artworks offer glimpse into the past

An exhibition of Song (960-1279) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties wall paintings and brick carvings was launched recently at the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, the North China province's capital city, giving visitors a glimpse into the past.

Organized by the Shanxi Museum and the Shanxi Archaeological Academy, the exhibition opened on May 1 and will continue to Oct 31. It features 89 wall paintings and brick-carving works unearthed in Shanxi.

The artworks were mostly excavated from ancient tombs some 800 years ago. Similar to those discovered in other regions in the country, ancient tomb wall paintings and brick-carving works were usually portraits of local family life. They express such themes as filial piety and family members' best wishes to their deceased loved ones.

One exhibition with such themes is a group of artworks from a Jin Dynasty tomb found in 2013 in the village of Haojiang in Jincheng city.

The tomb featured wall paintings and brick carvings in two caves that resemble the front and back courtyards of the "residence" of the deceased. The most symbolic part of the artworks is a brick-carved portrait of a woman opening the gate.

A gate-opening woman is a common theme in ancient tomb artworks. It could be interpreted as the family members' wish to welcome back their loved one as they believed a resurrection of the dead is possible. Another interpretation is that there is a door to the other world and the family graveyard is the final destination for all.

According to the epitaph, the tomb was built in 1175. Researchers said the wall paintings and brick carvings have offered reliable material evidence for studying the life, society, culture and religions of the Jin Dynasty.

Most of the Song and Jin dynasties tomb wall paintings and brick carvings are in the permanent collections of the Shanxi Museum.

During the six-month exhibition, a series of activities relating to the history and culture of the Song and Jin dynasties are planned to be held at the museum. These include lectures, symposiums, tea ceremonies and ancient garment shows.

Li Yao contributed to this story