Liu Mingda sells brick carvings

[Liu Mingda Maier Brick Carving]

Liu Mingda Maier Brick Carving, Northern Song Dynasty, 19.2 cm high, 26 cm wide and 3 cm thick
The brick is rectangular, the inner concave of the brick is chiseled into the shape of a pot door, and the upper part is carved with “Liu Mingda”. The left side of the pot door is carved with a man riding on a horse carrying a baby, and the right side is a woman rushing to catch up with her, probing her hand and calling. Trees and rocks set off against the background
The picture tells the story of “Liu Mingda selling children” in the ancient Twenty-four Filial Pieties. Liu Mingda was poor and unable to take into account the rations of his mother and children. Seeing that his mother was becoming thinner and thinner, he had no choice but to sell the child to General Wang who passed by. The wife saw her son being sold and repeatedly cried out. She was heartbroken and killed herself
Liu Mingda’s story is similar to another “Guo Ju buries his son” in the story of the Twenty-Four Filial Piety. Guo Ju also buries his son alive because his family is poor and cannot afford his mother. Compared with the two, Liu Mingda’s behavior seems to be a little reasonable. He does not have to bury his own son alive to reduce his family size. If everyone has no future, where does filial piety come from?