Retrieving the Tripod from the Si River, from the Wu Family Shrine (Translation)
漢武氏祠畫像 泗水取鼎 左石室 (后室) 東壁下 拓本 紙本墨色 (Primary Title)
Retrieving the Tripod, from Wu Family Shrine (Alternate Title)
Unknown (Artist)
According to legend, one of nine bronze ding vessels collected by the First Emperor’s father fell into the river. When the First Emperor came to power, he attempted to recover his father’s long-lost treasure. This rubbing depicts the emperor standing on the shore watching the rescue. In the scene, the dragon suddenly severs the rope, and the ding drops back into the water.
The Wu Family Shrine in Shandong Province is the largest and best preserved stone shrine of the Han dynasty. It consists of more than forty engraved slabs with scenes revealing ancient Chinese mythology, ritual and social activities, and Confucian ideology.
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