Two Han dynasty paintings in Japan, 2012FEB24

There are two dynasties Painting in Japan, which are paintings with color and ink on funeral bricks. One is 69.5x23cm in NEZU MUSEUM, Tokyo, and another is in TENRI Gallery in Nara(67.8x23cm). Both were imported in Japan in 1920s. These are belong to a set with three paintings block in British Museum, which Sueji Umehara suggested(Ref1) The set suggested mystic world scenes after death. The Brick in Tenri Gallery has a singular scene: mystic monsters battle scene. I feel it rare. Most real mural paintings in Ancient China were pageant of the deceased as bureau officers or scenes of theatre despite Ma -Wang-Tui banners. Myth or after-death world scenes in these paintings look like to Mu-shrine reliefs(Shangtong).
by Reiji Yamashina, 2012-02-24

• Ref,1 SUEJI UMEHARA, Some Speciments of Chinese Pictorial Art of the Han Period. BIJYUTU KENKYU, No.133, Vol.6 , 1943, Tokyo
• IMAGE SOURCE 1: SUEJI UMEHARA ibid.
• IMAGE SOURCE 2: SEIICHI MIZUNO, Painting of the Han dynasty, HEIBONSHA Co., TOKYO,1957