- Koguryo and Balhae
- Tokhung-ri Tomb
Koguryo and Balhae
| Title | Jichuk | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Jichuk on the ceiling of the antechamber (northern wall)
This is a detailed view of Bakui on the ceiling of the antechamber (northern wall) in Tokhung-ri Tomb. Eighteen auspicious animals are depicted on the ceiling of the antechamber in Tokhung-ri Tomb. The Heavenly Horse, Jichuk, Cheonjak, Byeokdok, Bakui, Hajo, Yeongyang, Huewon, and an unidentified auspicious animal appear on the northern wall.
Jichuk (literally “earth's axis”) is depicted together with Big Dipper along the central axis of the northern wall in the antechamber. The two-headed auspicious animal is depicted symmetrically, symbolizing the central axis for the earth. The inscription next to the left-side head reads “Jichuk, One Body, Two Heads.” The Jichuk in the image matches the descriptions in the inscriptions on the ceiling of the northern wall.