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The Sarcophagus of Yu Hong
Yu Hong (d. 592) was a high-ranking member of a community of Sogdians
who had settled on the northern border of China at the beginning
of the fourth century. While barely in his teens, Yu Hong began
his career in the service of the most powerful nomadic tribe at
the time, known as the Ruru, and was posted as an emissary to
several countries, including Iran. During the Northern Qi, Northern
Zhou, and subsequent Sui dynasty, he served as a sabao,
a leader of foreigners, particularly merchants, on Chinese soil.
Yu Hong, his father, and his grandfather were all respected leaders
of the Sogdian community. His wife (d. 597) was interred along
with him in the same tomb six years later in 598. They lived their
later years and were buried in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, the Northern
Qi’s second capital city.
Although decorated with scenes in Iranian style, the marble sarcophagus
was constructed in the shape of a Chinese house. Comparing the
basic structure of the sarcophagus with China’s oldest extant
wooded building (link to Mansheng’s photo of Nanchan si)
the eighth-century Buddhist temple
Nanchan si,
also in Shanxi
province, it is evident that each is characterized by weight-bearing
columns, sloped and tiled roofs with extended eaves, and symmetrical
organization—all essential components of Chinese architecture.
Side panels
Panel 1.
The four servants are waiting for the master. One of the servants
is a groom holding the reins of the waiting, saddled horse which
probably belonged to the deceased.
bottom panel: This flying horse with a dragon’s tail is a
symbol of farn (Sogdiana for the good fortune and luck
that come to a worthy person and that are taken away from a sinner).
This farn may be identified with the god Mithra.
Panel 2. Chubby boys trampling grapes, and two people running off unsteadily
with caskets of wine.
bottom panel: This flying horse with a dragon’s tail is a
symbol of farn, here in combat with a lion.
Panel 3. A warrior, who might be the Iranian Prince Bahram Gur (r. 420-38),
who lived among the Arabs and hunted as an Arab, is depicted as
an archer on camelback. The other hunting kings and princes of
Iran are shown on horseback or on foot.
bottom panel: A muscular sprite wearing a scarf plays horn.
Panel 4. A long haired Turk hunting on camel back.
bottom panel: A running long-antler deer.
Panel 5. The relief in the center of the interior shows a royal couple
feasting and being entertained in paradise. Both are crowned,
as are the female attendants. There is a musical band composed
of, from left to right, a snare drum, clappers, harp, pipes, the
pipa, and a recorder-type wind instrument.
bottom panel: Two pairs of combatants, a man and a lion. Such
combat scenes probably came from nomadic art in the north.
Panel 6. A hunter from India(?) in Persian dress hunts lions on the
back of an elephant.
bottom panel: A bird commonly seen in Central Asian art.
Panel 7. The royal person riding on a horse is raising his cup as if
to drink. His servant, who is standing in front of the horse,
is offering him food piled high on a plate.
bottom panel:A goat walks leisurely through a flower garden
Panel 8. The royal person is stopping for a rest. He is offered food
by one servant, and another servant is playing the pipa, an instrument
originally from Central and Western Asia.
bottom panel: The deer runs through vegetation.
Panel 9. The royal person riding a horse holds a fruit from the tree
next to him.
bottom panel:This is a combat scene between a bull and a lion,
perhaps an Iranian symbol of New Year.
Base panels
Panel 10. This panel is the front base panel. An altar for the sacred
fire of Zoroastrianism and two heavenly priests on either side
are in the center of the lower register. The priests have bird
claws for feet, and their mouths seem to be covered by padams,
a special mask that protects the sacred fire and other objects
from being polluted by their breath. People are drinking on either
sides of the central motif. Two guards flank the bottom register.
On the top register there are musicians and servants in pairs,
enclosed within two columns and an arch. The pairs, from left
to right, are as follows:
a. two servants holding a covered tray and wine container.
b. lute and flute player
c. dancer and lute player
d. flute and drum player
e. harp and clapper player
f. dancer and pipe player
Panel 11. There are three hunters on horse back on the top register.
There are two horn players on the bottom, also dancing, apparently,
to their own music.
Panel 12. There are hunters on the top register and servants with cups
on the bottom register.
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