The liver, Chinese woodcut, Ming period

Woodcut depicting the two lobes ('leaves') of the liver; illustration of 'Problem 41' from Tu zhu ba shi yi nan jing bianzhen (Corrected Edition of the Canon of Problems, Illustrated and Annotated), published in the Wan Li reign period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620). Problem 41 is explained thus: The liver corresponds to wood and the east. Wood corresponds to Spring. In springtime, all things come into being and bear the forms of youth. They seem new and unique, akin to nothing else. But they all draw their life from earth and water.The liver is located on the right, below the spleen, quite close to spleen taiyin, whose attribute is earth; and above the bladder, not far from bladder taiyang, whose attribute is water. Water and earth reside in different places, thus it has two hearts and consequently two lobes or 'leaves', like the leaves of a tree.

Gemo (diaphragm); gan (liver); qu taiyin shang jin (quite close to the taiyin); li taiyang bu yuan (not far from the taiyang); mingmen (Portal of life); pi (spleen); wei (stomach;) xiaochang (small intestine); dachang (large intestine); pangguang (bladder)