The Southern Dynasty（420～589CE）
Height: 19cm
Width: 38cm
Unearthed from a Southern Dynasty tomb at Xuezhuang village, Dengxian county, Henan province

With bright colors, the relief depicts a legend of Zhou dynasty. Centering on a phoenix with auspicious grass in its mouth, the scene has prince Qiao of the Eastern Zhou playing the Sheng(mouth organ) on the left, and a standing Taoist Fuqiugong on the right, who has a deer tail whisk in his hand and long hair on his shoulder. The scene demonstrates a tale that the crown prince, Jin, son of King Ling of Zhou plays the sheng mouth organ, attracting the mythical phoenix bird, and is led by Taoist Fugqiugong to Mount Song for practicing Taoism and ascending to the immortal realm by riding on a swan. The relief reflects the reclusive and withdrawing attitudes by the literati and scholar-officials in the turbulent society of the period, who sought spiritually the “blissful realm”which was against the rigid social reality, and honored the “Metaphysics” and “Impractical discussion” of the Wei to Jin period.