Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Xiao Ji, Prince Jian of Nan'an, Liang Dynasty

Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Xiao Ji, Prince Jian of Nan'an, Liang Dynasty

The stone carvings at the tomb of Xiao Ji, Prince Jian of Nan'an, Liang Dynasty, are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In Jurong City, Jiangsu Province, known as the "back garden of Nanjing," on the open ground beside Shishigou Village in the northwest of the city, stand a pair of massive stone beasts commonly referred to as stone lions. Not far away, there is a pair of stone pillars—this is the stone carving complex at the tomb of Xiao Ji, Prince Jian of Nan'an from the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties. It is the most magnificent among the surviving stone carvings of Southern Dynasties imperial tombs in China.

Xiao Ji was the fourth son of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan. In the eighth year of the Tianjian era (509 AD), he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Nan'an Commandery. He passed away in the first year of the Datong era (527 AD) at the age of only 27, and was posthumously honored with the title "Jian," hence also called Prince Jian of Nan'an. According to the regulations of the time, stone statues of Bixie were placed in front of his tomb. These Bixie have no horns on their heads; one is female and the other male. Unlike the stone Tianlu and Qilin with horns that stand in front of imperial and empress tombs, these are called Bixie, specifically used in front of the tombs of princes and nobles, symbolizing the hierarchical distinctions among the ruling class at the time. "Bixie" means to ward off evil spirits—it was an ancient deity worshipped and placed in front of tombs as guardians and ceremonial figures. These types of stone beasts were carved based on the model of lions, but they are not entirely identical to the image of lions, as such winged creatures do not exist in nature.

The two Bixie face each other from east to west, standing 16.8 meters apart. The stone pillars are located 21 meters to the north of them. Behind the pillars is a pond, and the land gradually rises to the north. About 10 kilometers away stands the majestic Zhuoshan Mountain, stretching continuously. The area in front of the stone beasts is flat and open, with Chishan Mountain visible in the distance to the south, 10 kilometers away. The Qinhuai River flows around Chishan Mountain and continues southward endlessly. This is a location with vast open land and beautiful mountain and water scenery.

The Bixie and its base were carved from a single piece of stone. The body is 3.7 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, and 3.48 meters high, with the buried base bringing the total height to approximately 4.40 meters. Its weight is estimated to be around 30 tons. The enormity of its size and the majesty of its presence are truly breathtaking.

The two Bixie look up with their heads raised, mouths wide open in a square shape, with two teeth visible on each side of the upper and lower lips, and long tongues extending out and hanging down to the chest. Their round noses protrude prominently, with flared nostrils, and their eyes are wide open, exuding a majestic and spirited expression. Their short, thick, and sturdy necks feature circular grooves from the top of the head to the spine and the front chest. Their chests are thrust forward, round and full, with spiral fur patterns carved from top to bottom on both sides, slanting outward and fluttering in layers, rendered in light and flowing lines. They have double wings covered with fish-scale patterns, the scales clearly defined, carved powerfully and boldly. Behind the scale patterns are bird-wing motifs, with four lines carved on the wings, curving upward and stretching out fluidly. Their limbs are massive and thick, with the male stepping forward with its left foot and the female with its right foot, creating symmetry. Each foot has five claws, shaped like a lion’s, with clearly defined joints, and their long tails droop down to the base. Their appearance seems ready to leap into action, striding forward with pride.

The stone Bixie here have a plain build and modest decoration, unlike the ornately carved stone Tianlu and Qilin in front of the imperial tombs in Danyang. Their carving is bold and naturally expressive. At the same time, compared to the Bixie in front of the tombs of princes and nobles from the same dynasty, theirs appear even more grand and majestic. The carving techniques are masterful, resolute, and decisive, with smooth and elegant lines, embodying the exceptional skill of folk sculptors of the Liang Dynasty, and fully reflecting the maturation of Six Dynasties stone carving art during the Liang period.

The stone pillars behind the two stone beasts, also known as Huabiao (ornamental columns), consist of three parts. The top is covered with a round canopy, forming an inverted lotus base—a decorative style popular during the Six Dynasties. This lotus ornamentation is clearly related to the prevalence of Indian Buddhism in China at the time. On the base stands a small Bixie, with its front legs leaping, head raised toward the sky, mouth open as if roaring, depicted vividly and lifelike. The middle section is the column shaft, circular, with the surface carved into 24 vertical ribbed stripes. Near the top of the column shaft is embedded a small square stone inscribed with the spirit way stele inscription, slightly wider than the diameter of the column. The text is incised in intaglio, with clear strokes. The inscription reads: “The Spirit Way of the Late Liang Dynasty Minister of the Palace, General of the Central Army, Minister with the Same Authority as the Three Excellencies, Prince Jian of Nan'an,” arranged in three lines with seven characters per line, each character about two inches tall. The inscriptions on both pillars are identical, read from the outside in to maintain symmetry. The calligraphy is in standard script, differing from the Liang Dynasty and other Six Dynasties spirit way stele inscriptions that paired standard script with reverse script—a sign of variation within the same dynasty’s sculptural conventions. The font is dignified and graceful, representing a typical example of Southern Dynasties calligraphy. Below the stele inscription is another small square stone, the same width as the column, with a carved beast face motif in the center. Below that is a ring of rope-patterned bands, followed by a band of a double-dragon play design, the imagery vivid and lively. The lower part is the column base, with two salamanders carved on the upper section facing each other at the front, and the bottom layer being a square stone buried underground. The entire column is uniquely designed, embodying the elegant and refined characteristics of the Jiangnan region.

Although the stone beasts of Xiao Ji’s tomb are massive, the addition of feathered wings (aside from the short wings) during carving prevents them from appearing bulky. Similarly, the stone pillars, with their ribbed body adorned with Indian-style lotus canopies, and the base featuring traditional Chinese auspicious beasts, demonstrate that while maintaining the form of national art, appropriate foreign artistic elements were also integrated—yet the overall form appears unified and harmonious, without any sense of disjointedness.

In 1956, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Committee listed the stone carvings at Xiao Ji’s tomb as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit. In 1996, they were incorporated into the stone carvings of the Southern Dynasties imperial tombs in Danyang, becoming a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. As time passes and the world changes, Xiao Ji’s tomb has been lost to history, but these two Bixie still stand proudly on the plains, gazing into the sky and earth.

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units