The tortoise is a world unto itself, its upper half curved like the heavens, the lower half flat like the earth. In that position the tortoise is a mediator between the two.

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The tortoise is a world unto itself, its upper half curved like the heavens, the lower half flat like the earth. In that position the tortoise is a mediator between the two.

Source: Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols

Stone Tortoise Carrying Epitaph Steles

China & Japan: David Owsley Asian Art Gallery»

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