Stone Carvings at Zhangjiaku Tomb

Stone Carvings at Zhangjiaku Tomb

The stone carvings at Zhangjiaku Tomb are designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Stone Carvings at Zhangjiaku Tomb

The stone carvings along the spirit way of Xiao Rong’s Tomb are located southwest of Zhangjiaku in Qixia Town, Nanjing, within the campus of the Oil Refinery School affiliated with the Jinling Petrochemical Company. There is a pair of stone stone beasts on the spirit way.

In September 1980, during infrastructure construction, the then Nanjing Refinery discovered a tomb approximately 1,000 meters northwest of the unidentified stone Pixiu. The Nanjing Museum conducted an excavation of the tomb. Based on the epitaph unearthed, it was identified as the joint burial tomb of Xiao Rong, the Prince of Guiyang and younger brother of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty (Xiao Yan), and his wife, Lady Wang Mushao. This confirmed that the previously unidentified stone Pixiu were in fact the spirit way stone carvings of Xiao Rong’s Tomb from the Liang Dynasty. The eastern Pixiu is the female beast, which is relatively well-preserved. Its head is slightly tilted to the south, measuring 3 meters in length, 1.45 meters in chest width, and 3.92 meters in height. The western Pixiu is the male beast, which is severely damaged. The entire southern half appears to have been cleaved off by about a quarter as if by a knife, the northern half is also eroded, with a large section missing from the upper rear hips, and the upper forehead area is damaged. There are vertical and horizontal cracks on the chest, but it has now been restored. It measures 2.95 meters in length, 1.1 meters in chest width, and 2.6 meters in height. The two Pixiu are spaced 2.5 meters apart, lack horns, have short necks, raised heads with tongues hanging down, and no beards under the chins, differing from other stone beasts found at Southern Dynasties tombs. Their wings, chests, and the central area from the top to the back all feature concave grooves. They have prominent chests and arched backs, stand upright with striding postures, and are rendered with robust builds and exquisite craftsmanship, exhibiting a majestic style. In 1983, they were lifted and reset in their original positions. In 1988, they were listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units