Different Troughs for Cattle and Horses——On the Realistic Expression and Cultural Significance of Two Murals from the Wei-Jin Tombs in Jiayuguan
The Wei-Jin tomb murals in Jiayuguan depict a scene of"different troughs for cattle and horses."This paper combines similar images from secular paintings and ritual art to reveal the practical motivations behind this practice,and to point out its cultural implications.At the very beginning,the ancient philosophy of pre-Qin China abstracted the concept of a unity existing between pairs of opposites by observing the habits of cattle and horses.In many situations,the opposition between cattle and horses was transformed into a relationship of correspondence,as in the practice of sacrificing cattle and horses during rituals,using cattle and horses to plow the same field,herding cattle and horses together,and illustrations of ox carts and driven horses.Ancient religious art even contained a pair of mythological soldiers that expressed this unity,one with the head of an ox,the other with the face of a horse.The expression,"different troughs for cattle and horses,"which can be found in ancient folk sayings,illustrations and documents,reflects the close relationship that existed in ancient times between art and life.
different troughs for cattle and horsesJiayuguan tomb muralsox carts and driven horsesox-head and horse-face
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