Copy of Tomb Mural - Blue Dragon • White Tiger • Red Phoenix • Black Tortoise and Serpent

The ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo (37 BCE – 668 CE) was founded in the mid-region of the Amnok River, and it grew into a large kingdom, encompassing the central and northern region of the Korean Peninsula and stretching east past the Liao River in modern-day China. Amongst the remains of this kingdom are a large number of mural tombs that were built in the area surrounding its capitals. Due to their artistic and historical significance, in 2004, the Complex of Goguryeo Tombs was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The murals in these tombs are an invaluable source of knowledge, yielding innumerable insights about various aspects of the life and philosophy of the Goguryeo people. 

These particular paintings of the Four Guardian Deities are replicas of original murals found on the walls of Gangseo Daemyo (“Great Gangseo Tomb”), located in Sammyo-ri of the Gangseo District in the city of Nampo, North Korea. The copies were made during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) by two Japanese artists, Oba Tsunekichi and Ota Fukuzo, upon commission from the Joseon Government-General Museum. Widely recognized as one of the most important Goguryeo mural tombs, Gangseo Daemyo consists of a stone burial chamber with walls displaying paintings of the Four Guardian Deities, which are characterized by their vivid colors, realistic depictions, and dynamic brush strokes. The artists of these replicas were completely faithful to the original, even going so far as to duplicate the damaged portions of the original murals. These works are highly regarded by both general and art historians, and their value as a primary source of knowledge about the Goguryeo tomb murals will only increase, given the rapidly deteriorating condition of the original murals.