This wallchart is not an artist's impression of a figure with linework drawn on it. Nor is it a photograph with an artists impression of the meridians drawn over it.

Rather it is the photographic record of the work of a team of acupuncture, shiatsu, and zen shiatsu practitioners who collaborated over a 48-hour period to find and mark the points, meridians, and Masunaga zen extensions on an actual patient. Each point was located by cun/sun measurement and anatomical position and verified by touch and response from the trained model. Because the work was done directly on a real 6'3" African-Caucasian body, the relative positions of points and meridians can be directly inferred, avoiding the errors of interpretation that artists' impressions may make.

The photography uses lighting that accentuates the detail of the linework with respect to the surface anatomy and delicately portrays the contours of bone and muscle, so essential for accurate point location. In each image one side of the model is in anatomical pose, the other holds a modified stance to allow presentation of points such as HT-1, KI-1, LR-12. In many cases the pose also allows the meridian to be followed from beginning to end in one view.

The linework in this set of two 28''x40" charts (yin aspect and yang aspect) has been labeled according to the WHO naming convention and, by showing both TCM and Masunaga's Zen extensions, allows a ready comparison of the Chinese and Japanese traditions. The precise coloring system conforms to classical five element theory, with contrasting shading and coding to identify the Masunaga extensions. The chart also shows the Shu/Phase, Yuan-Source, Back-Shu, Front-Mu, Xi-Cleft and Luo-Connecting points. Detailed legends on the side panels provide additional information.

With its detail, careful attention to accuracy, and beauty of presentation, this chart uniquely justifies its place as teaching aid, study tool, or decoration. See also the Living Meridian Location Chart: TCM and Living Meridian Location Chart: Zen Shiatsu.