Northeast Asian History Network

Western Wall of the Antechamber (Northern Section)

This is a detailed view of the gatekeeper depicted on the northern section of the western antechamber wall. A 67-character inscription, spanning seven columns, can be seen above the gatekeeper's head. A translation of the inscription states that a person named Dong-su, who long served as a government official, died at the age of 69 in the 13th year of Yonghe (357 CE). Dong-su was a general from China's Former Yan (a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China) who became a naturalized citizen of Koguryo after being exiled to the Nanang (“Lelang” in Chinese) region during the reign of King Gogugwon. A theory was raised upon translating this inscription that the person entombed in Anak Tomb No. 3 was this man named Dong-su. However, scholars in North Korea have contested this theory for the following reasons: The figure in the portrait of the deceased is wearing a Baek-ragwan, (literally "white silk hat") a type of hat worn only by kings; In the same portrait, a figure is holding a three-tier Jeol (ceremonial flag featuring pompons) which can only be in the presence of a person of extremely high status; A banner depicted in the procession on the eastern gallery wall contains the inscription "His Majesty's Banner."
This figure is wearing a black military attaché Chaek (headwear with a cone-shaped point), black Jeogori (traditional Korean upper garment), and white trousers. The hemlines of the trousers fit snugly around the ankles to minimize snagging. The figure’s waistband securing the Jeogori is nearly completely concealed by his overlapping hands. The folds in the fabric have been expressed through the thick red lines of his Jeogori. This Royal Guard’s thick, crescent eyebrows, long, thin eyes, and wispy mustache are facial features commonly found in other figures depicted throughout Anak Tomb No. 3.