Caden Zhang

Flourish

This brick relief depicts an ancient ritual scene, recording the first encounter between human beings and the Tian-ren’s divine gift. Thousands of years ago, people gathered at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, offering reverence to the Mother Goddesses. In return, the goddesses gifted them flowers with roots that reached into the very center of the universe, connecting earth to heaven. These flowers functioned like a mother's womb. This divine gift allowed women to choose their paths in childbirth, ensuring they would not suffer the pain of natural reproduction. It enabled them to place their unborn children into the flower's protective bloom, offering a safe passage for life. This gift compensated for the limited medical knowledge of the time. The existence of the divine womb allowed women to live longer on average, to be more active in politics and labor, and to prolong the survival of matrilineal societies.