• Koguryo and Balhae
  • Tokhung-ri Tomb
The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd
TitleThe Weaver Girl and the Cowherd
The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd on the ceiling of the antechamber (southern wall)
zoom

This is a detailed view of The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd on the ceiling of the antechamber (southern wall) in Tokhung-ri Tomb. The two titular figures of The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd can be seen in a moment of parting with the Milky Way strewn diagonally in between them. Unlike the cowherd who is leading an ox by the reins away from the area, the weaver girl is seen close to the Milky Way gazing longingly at the cowherd.
The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd is a tragic traditional Chinese folk tale in which the titular characters were banished to the opposite sides of the Silver River (Milky Way) due to their disallowed love affair. The couple would reunite once every year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month on a bridge formed by crows and magpies. From the perspective of a typical viewer, it may appear that the cowherd and weaver girl are incorrectly positioned in the west (left) and east (right), respectively. In consideration of the tomb's orientation, however, the figures are indeed correctly represented in their proper (opposite) cardinal directions. The weaver girl and the cowherd symbolize the stars Vega and Altair, respectively. The stars Vega and Altair are also depicted just above The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd in Tokhung-ri Tomb.
The cowherd in the image is leading an ox wearing a yellow gentleman's robe with a waist band and a white hat. The khaki green ox features large eyes and sharp horns, and its appearance is similar to the ox seen in the Depiction of the Noble Couple’s Outing on the eastern wall of the middle passage. An inscription next to the cowherd clearly reads "Depiction of the Cowherd." The weaver girl can be seen wearing a long Jeogori (traditional Korean upper garment) and a creased skirt in alternating green and white. Her hair is looped in a style similar to the women depicted in Anak Tomb No. 3. A hairpin was used to create a loop and the remaining hair stretches sideways. Although the inscription next to the weaver girl has partially deteriorated, it most certainly reads "Depiction of the Weaver Girl" judging by the cowherd's inscription. The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd imagery seen in Tokhung-ri Tomb shares similar characteristics with Chinese depictions of the same name, and this is indicative of the cultural exchanges between ancient Korea and China.

페이지 상단으로 이동하기