• Koguryo and Balhae
  • Susahn-ri Tomb
Eastern Wall of the Main Chamber
TitleEastern Wall of the Main Chamber
Eastern Wall of the Main Chamber
zoom

This is the complete mural depicted on the eastern wall of the main chamber in Susahn-ri Tomb. The deterioration in the eastern wall is even more serious than the northern wall, and nearly three-quarters of the mural is indistinguishable. Even more troubling is the fact that parts of the whitewashed wall that have yet to be repaired are so severely exfoliated that further damage is inevitable.
Similar to other walls in the main chamber, the undamaged portion on the left side of the eastern wall reveals a composition divided into top and bottom sections by a checkered line. A kneeling figure located just above the line appears to be greeting the two guests to his right, and a ceremonial band leading a procession is depicted below the line. Most of the procession in the center is indiscernible, but two women can be seen on the right side of the mural at the tail end.
Portions of wooden columns with carved-in lotuses and elegant braces are depicted in both corners of the wall. The braces on the columns are supporting the primary joist. A smaller column sits on top of the brace, and the same configuration is repeated for the secondary joist to create a double-ceiling structure. The lambda-shaped (Λ) truss installed between the primary and secondary joists on the other three walls is curiously missing on the southern wall. The mural still conveys the magnificence of Koguryo-era wooden architecture despite the lack of a truss. The blooming lotuses and flying auspicious birds depicted near the ceiling are regarded to be alluding to the peaceful atmosphere of the Buddhist Land of Bliss.
The blooming lotuses and flying auspicious birds depicted near the ceiling are regarded to be alluding to the peaceful atmosphere of the Buddhist Land of Bliss.

페이지 상단으로 이동하기