• Koguryo and Balhae
  • Susahn-ri Tomb
Northern Wall of the Main Chamber - Noble Couple
TitleNorthern Wall of the Main Chamber - Noble Couple
Northern Wall of the Main Chamber - Noble Couple
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This is a detailed view of the portrait of the deceased depicted on the northern wall of the main chamber in Susahn-ri Tomb. As the northern wall of the main chamber was the first visible wall upon entry, it featured the essential portrait of the deceased. Regrettably, deterioration in a significant portion of the mural means that this portrait is lost to history. These areas of the whitewashed wall were repaired after the initial excavation.
Although the portrait had already faded away, the nobleman and lady were surmised to have been on the left and right sides of the mural, respectively. A small portion of the noblewoman's skirt is still visible to the right of the cement repair, and it appears to be a creased skirt in the five cardinal colors (Wu Xing). A portion of a red-bordered backrest can be seen just behind the skirt. This type of backrest first appeared in Gamshin-chong (Shrine Tomb) and continued to be seen in other portraits of the deceased from mid-Koguryo era tomb murals in the Pyongyang region. The L and U-shaped folding screens from early Koguryo era murals depicted in Anak Tomb No. 3 and Tokhung-ri Tomb, respectively, were phased out for the backrest.

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