Here is the full image of the painting that contains the detail I blogged on below. I await the book, but as far as I know it is in Chinese, so it may still be enigmatic. It is both beautiful and sinister, and its title is “Clearing the Mountains”. Who is clearing whom out of what mountains?
The more I look at this interesting painting(OBVIOUSLY a story behind it!), the more convinced I am it is illustrating a general game drive(tiger, wolves, bear, and is that a humongo bunny running out of the far right corner?), that, inadvertently or perhaps PURPOSEFULLY, some upper class citizens have been caught up in–an historical illustration of a genocidal political assassination? Although, not to be culturally insulting or anything here(ahem!), I can fully understand why the eagle might have confused that lady's hairdo for some mammalian varmint!….L.B.
The story behind this scenario must be a strange one, indeed. I just noticed a second Hawk-Eagle (crested) on the far left, perched on the fist of one of the 4 demonic figures; the one without a hat has just released an arrow which seems to have struck the head of one of the 3 figures on the right side of the panel, who seems to be wrestling with the Tiger. Also, I noticed the tail feathers of another raptor protruding just above the tail of the central-figure Hawk Eagle. Perhaps it is covered by the robe of the woman/girl? who has been seized by same Hawk Eagle?….David W.