Chinese woodcut: Form and position of the liver

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Chinese woodcut: Form and position of the liver. Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Description

Woodcut illustration from Shenti sancai tuhui (Coloured Illustrations of the Body), by the Ming (1368 - 1644) author Wang Siyi. The image shows the form and position of the liver. It lies below the diaphragm, and is divided into two lobes. It is very close to the spleen taiyin channel, and not far from the small intestine taiyang channel. Its attributes are the East and Wood, and it symbolises the birth and origin of the 'Myriad Things' (wanwu) of the cosmos.

Lettering

PICTURE TITLE: Illustration showing the two lobes of the liver. OTHER LETTERING: Diaphragm; liver. Very close to taiyin (Great Yin). Not far from taiyang (Great Yang). Stomach; spleen; mingmen (right kidney considered as 'Portal of Life); small intestine; large intestine; rectum (gangchang) ; bladder; urinary meatus

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