The Legs mansion (奎宿, pinyin: Kuí Xiù) is one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger.
The constellation Kui within the lunar mansion consists of 16 stars in the Western constellations Andromeda and Pisces. An older name of the constellation, dating back to the Neolithic, was Tianshi (天豕), the Celestial Pig, with Zeta Andromedae as the pig's eye. Zeta Andromedae was originally the determinative star of Kui, but this became Eta Andromedae during the Qing dynasty.
Cultural significance
In East Asian cultures, the Legs mansion (Kuí Xiù) represents wisdom, scholarship and literature. A notable example is a structure known as "Kuiwen Pavilion" (奎文閣) in the many Confucius temples in China and other East Asian countries.
A jade sculpture of a pig from the Neolithic Lingjiatan culture is thought to represent the constellation Kui, as the Celestial Pig (Tianshi). It closely resembles the shape of the constellation, with its eye corresponding to Zeta Andromedae.
Asterisms English name Chinese name European constellation Number of stars Representing Legs 奎 Andromeda/Pisces 16 Possibly it is the rear legs or feet of the White Tiger. Alternatively, it was also seen as a wild boar. Outer Fence 外屏 Pisces 7 A fence to screen off the cesspit of Celestial Pigsty (Tiānhùn) Celestial Pigsty 天溷 Cetus 4 A manure pit on a farm in the pigsty Master of Constructions 土司空 Cetus 1 A controller of land and minister of works Southern Military Gate 軍南門 Andromeda 1 South gate of the barracks Flying Corridor 閣道 Cassiopeia 6 A mountain path, it was also seen as the banner of Wangliang Auxiliary Road 附路 Cassiopeia 1 The road pavement or alternate Wang Liang 王良 Cassiopeia 5 Wang Liang was a famous charioteer during the Spring and Autumn period Whip 策 Cassiopeia 1 The whip of Wang Liang
See also Kui Xing
References