In pictures: huge beautiful ancient stone murals reveal exquisite carving techniques from over 1,000 years ago
- The murals are filled with bricks that seem unremarkable by themselves, but taken together they form a beautiful picture
- They were created during the Northern Song dynasty, a remarkable moment of Chinese art history
Stretching for over 20 metres, with waves of carved rock that surround a mythical horse, these Chinese murals would be a beautiful addition to any city. But they also happen to be around 1,000 years old.
Dating back to the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), Chinese archaeologists are in the midst of excavating two large pieces of work in central China’s Henan province.
Unlike a modern mural where the design is painted on the wall, these ancient murals were made by carving the bricks. That meant they would take a single brick, and carve it into wave, circles or three-dimensional shapes that were seemingly meaningless by themselves.
But, when they are stacked into a wall, the bricks form a larger picture, often of auspicious symbols such as seahorses, flying cranes and clouds.
“In terms of scale, subject and style, the stone murals can represent the highest standards of the stonework system and the highest level of carving techniques during the Northern Song dynasty,” said Zheng Yan, a professor at Peking University’s School of Arts, in an interview with Xinhua news agency.
The murals were built alongside Zhouqiao Bridge, which is in itself a fairly remarkable monument. The bridge was built between 780-783 during the Tang dynasty. The bridge was an important part of local culture before it was buried in mud in 1642. An excavated project was launched in 2018.
The murals were built alongside the bridge and are expected to be about 30 metres high each once excavated.
The Northern Song dynasty is remembered for being an artistic peak of ancient China. One of the most beautiful pieces of Chinese art, “Finches and bamboo” was painted by a Northern Song emperor in 12th century.