Triptych Screen: Moonlit Sea
月光照耀的那片海

SOLD

寶石之女在將繪有這片海域景色的三聯畫賣給女巫時，驕傲地介紹著它的故事。

「能夠親自造訪這裡，是我人生中最幸運的經歷之一。」她說。

「這裡被稱作『月之淚海』，據說是整個大陸上月照面積最廣的海域。在一年中的某幾個滿月時，這片海會擁有最靠近月亮的水面，月光宛如女神的眼淚般緩緩落下。此時，海的周圍會被照得格外明亮，大家普遍認為『月之淚海』的名稱便源於此。」

「『是時候了！』」無論是近海還是深海的生物，都不約而同地感知到了月光即將降臨。小魚用氣泡彼此交流喜悅，海星們牽著手跳舞，大夥兒都殷殷期盼著這一刻的到來。

「深海的魚兒來不及浮上來，所以他們拼命擠出了許多眼淚。」

「在人類世界，眼淚被視為承載情緒的容器，而在海裡，眼淚則更為實用。魚的眼淚溶入海水後，會以最快的速度上升至水面，當它們吸飽月光，便再次溶入水中，藉由水流快速回到魚兒的身體循環。這樣一來，就算是深海魚也能在這一天獲得月亮的祝福。」

「有時候，想要獲得祝福的魚兒太多了，水裡充滿著它們的眼淚，甚至讓海平面微微上升。或許，這才是『月之淚海』名稱真正的由來！」

說完，寶石之女小心翼翼地將三聯畫遞給了當初唯一一位願意購買她收藏的女巫。幾百年過去，這幅被完好保存的畫作，連同這段美麗的故事，一同流傳到了我的手中。

Lady Precious proudly introduced the story behind the triptych as she sold the painting depicting this enchanting seascape to the witch.

"Being able to visit this place in person was one of the luckiest moments of my life," she said.

"This place is known as the Sea of Lunar Tears. It is said to be the most moonlit expanse of ocean on the entire continent. During certain full moons of the year, its waters rise closest to the moon, and the moonlight descends like the goddess’s tears, illuminating the sea in an otherworldly glow. Many believe this is how it earned its name."

"The time has come!" Whether dwelling near the shore or in the deepest abyss, all sea creatures could sense the moonlight’s impending descent. Tiny fish exchanged joy through shimmering bubbles, starfish clasped hands and twirled in dance, and the entire ocean pulsed with eager anticipation.

The deep-sea fish, unable to rise in time, squeezed out countless tears instead.

In the human world, tears are a vessel for emotions. But in the ocean, tears serve a more practical purpose. When the fish’s tears dissolve into the sea, they swiftly ascend to the surface. There, they soak in the moon’s radiance before merging back into the currents, returning to the fish’s bodies. This way, even those from the darkest depths can receive the moon’s blessing on this special night.

Sometimes, when too many fish yearn for the blessing at once, the water becomes thick with their tears—so much so that the sea level rises ever so slightly. Perhaps this is the true origin of the name Sea of Lunar Tears!

Having finished her tale, Lady Precious carefully handed over the triptych to the only witch who had ever valued her collection. Centuries passed, yet the painting remained pristine, and with it, the legend of this wondrous sea was passed down—until it finally reached me.

61.5 x 50 x 2 cm (unfold)

20 x 50 x 7.3 cm (fold)

Double-sided painting

Acrylic on wood (2023)