Page 436 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

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plumes and two intertwined scrolls emerge from Two birds standing upright with wings out-
the top of the head, joining scrolls that unfurl from spread and a long tails were mounted at the top
behind the ears. The faces recall an intricate bronze screen joints. All the pieces along the top incorpo-
handle from the tomb of Liu Sheng, and their de- rate small tubular supports, which may have carried
sign may derive from a number of sources: they feathers, as did the paired beasts at the bottom
resemble the ancient taotie, while the scrolling corners. It is likely that the tails of the birds had
extensions also call to mind the faces on molds magnificent pheasant feathers.
from the Jin state foundry at Houma. They resemble Remains of screens found in the tombs at
the face patterns around the edges of hi disks, Zhongshan, including a renowned fitting of a tiger
found in abundance in the tomb of the King of grappling with a deerlike creature, are evidence
Nanyue and may also draw on designs typical of the of the use of screens in China back to at least the
metalwork and wood carvings from the border areas fourth century BCE. The excavators of the Zhong-
of Xinjiang and Siberia. 2 shan tombs have suggested that the screens may

435 TOM B O F TH E KIN G O F N A N Y U E