Skulls Above Kaifeng or Auspicious Cranes is a hand scroll attributed to one of the most important artistic figures: l late Northern Song emperor Huizong (Sturman, 1990). This painting was made to commemorate a "rare" phenomenon where 20 cranes flew in the sky above the main gate of the palace, Kaifeng, on the Lantern Festival of the year 1112. This phenomenon was considered a Mandate of Heaven during the reign of Emperor Huizong (IBID). This auspicious phenomenon, however, might not be as magical as it seems since the cranes above Kaifeng reflect the 3 aspects of Emperor Huizong's painting which show Emperor Huizong's power over the art during its sovereignty. Firstly, the auspicious phenomenon mentioned earlier is known as ruiying in Chinese. These are believed to be blessings and a means of communication from Heaven in the form of weird and wonderful responses to, in this case, Emperor Huizong. Secondly, Emperor Huizong was a patron of the arts and in his painting academy he highlighted 3 aspects of painting: realism, systematic study and poetic idea. (source dri buku yg foto di library) These 3 aspects were clearly shown in Cranes Above Kaifeng: Auspicious Cranes which indicates the degree of control Emperor Huizong had over the visualization of auspicious events. Before arriving at these 3 aspects, why are these cranes important to know that the event is auspicious? Cranes can symbolize longevity and are considered the messengers of the immortals. In other words, cranes are sacred birds. (Ars orientalis) Thus, the phenomenon where 20 cranes arrived at the city gates was interpreted as an auspicious event. Realism refers to a real representation of a person or thing. However, in the case of Huizong, Benjamin Rowland argues that the emperor's style is "... middle of paper ... Pond of Heaven) to emphasize that this event was also a similar auspicious event. This inscription is the greatest support for the idea of ​​auspicious cranes which, according to Huizong, controlled the interpretation of the painting itself. If this inscription were not made, it would perhaps be easier for the public to have another interpretation than that of the Mandate of Heaven. However, it proved effective in controlling the meaning of the painting and emphasizing the event's association with Heaven's blessing. Overall, putting aside the truth about the cranes above Kaifeng, this scroll containing a painting and a poetic inscription shows how Huizong with his control over art can dictate the meaning and message that an art can transmit. This will lead to the manifestation of a certain belief among the people of the Song Dynasty, which in this case is the belief that this was a mandate from heaven..