Seated chimaera tomb guardian

Despite the fact that the term zhenmushou ("tomb guardian creatures") is commonly used among archaeologists in reference to this type of dorsal-spiked beast, scholars have not reached agreement on the figures' iconography or function. Modified from the Han prototype of earthenware horned beasts, pairs of tomb guardians became common funerary components beginning in the Six Dynasties in the north. This pair is stylistically close to the figures produced by potters in Hebei-Henan workshops during the Northern Wei (KG 1973.4: pl. 12; KG 1972.5: pl. 11).