Four panels of wall paintings detached and removed from the structure of which they were part,  a royal tomb of the 

Northern Qi Dynasty,  6th century AD in Cixian, province of Hebei, China.

According to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), "detachment and transfer are dangerous, drastic and

irreversible operations that severely affect the physical composition, material structure and aesthetic characteristics of wall paintings.

These operations are, therefore, only justifiable in extreme cases when all options of in situ treatment are not viable".

This was one of those extreme cases since the tomb had been found during the construction

of a modern complex in the '90s of the previous century.

In the last picture is drawn the downhill corridor leading to the central

rounded room where the body of the Emperor was placed.

These four panels have been restored within within the program

"Training In The Restoration And Conservation

Of The Chinese Cultural Heritage" trough the

support of the China National Institute

Of Cultural Property

(CNICP) Of

Beijing.