Departure Herald", 26 m (85 ft) in length, from the Jiajing reign period (1522-1566 AD

 "Departure Herald", 26 m (85 ft) in length, from the Jiajing reign period (1522-1566 AD); the painting shows the emperor's large procession heading towards the imperial tombs of the Ming emperors located roughly 50 km north of the capital Beijing. This painting is usually paired with another panoramic painting called "Return Clearing", 31 m (98 ft) in length, which shows the emperor returning to the capital from the tombs by river boat.
From Paludan's source listed below, this passage describes a particular scene of this painting: "Detail of a silk scroll, The Emperor's Approach, showing the luxury in which the emperor Xuande travelled. Elephants were kept in the imperial elephant stables until around 1900 and were often used for ceremonial occasions, such as the emperor's visits to the Temple of Heaven. Here, however, the large number of horsemen accompanying the emperor's carriage suggests that the emperor was on a much longer journey in the countryside."
read more..