Northeast Asian History Network

Seven-Treasure Ceremony on the eastern wall of the main chamber.

This is a detailed view of the Seven-Treasure Ceremony on the eastern wall of the main chamber in Tokhung-ri Tomb. As the name suggests, the Seven-Treasure Ceremony is a type of Buddhist ceremony in which seven different gifts (gold, silver, lapis, crystal, coral, agate, and pearl) are presented to Buddha. The inscription in this scene reads “Seven-Treasure Ceremony.”
Twelve figures, divided equally between the top and bottom frames, appear in the ceremony. A lush tree centered in the top frame further divides the six figures into groups of three. The figure, located to the right of the tree, wearing an official hat and sitting on a wooden platform seems to be the main figure in the scene.
Of the six figures in the bottom frame, the two right-most men can be seen holding swords, indicating that they are soldiers. The two figures in the center of the frame are holding bowls of food for the ceremony. The two women on the left side of the frame are standing politely and looking upon the two center figures.
This depiction of the Seven-Treasure Ceremony is indicative of the importance of Buddhist rituals at the time after Buddhism was recognized by Koguryo society.