Measurements: H. 47 cm, L. 233 cm
Period: The Eastern Han dynasty (25--220 CE)
Provenance: Unearthed in Cuocheng, Yongcheng, Henan province, 1973

The relief depicts eight feathered man dressed in tunic, mounted on different mythical animals respectively, namely Feilian, Canglong, and Tiger. One person, with human’s head and beast’s body, is in a position of ascending to the sky which is realistically carved. On the top of the scene, three bands of ornaments are carved, from the bottom to the top: lozenge, wave, semicircular lappets.

Quite a few pictorial stones with a wide variety of themes were unearthed at Yongcheng city, Henan province. Due to the influence from the Chu state culture, the scenes feature ancient mythologies, mythical birds and animals, doorkeeper, dancers, etc., exemplifying the imagination and aesthetic tastes of the Chu people; the carving techniques include bas-relief and incising, showing the combination of rigidness and flexibility, accentuating the embellishment.