Title:
GATEKEEPERS TO THE OTHER WORLD: HUMAN-FACED CREATURES AS TOMB PROTECTORS IN THE NORTHERN WEI

Authors:
Chin-Yin Tseng

Volume:1 Issue: 11

Abstract:
In the late fifth century, a peculiar type of guardian beast figurine appeared inside the tomb chambers in the Datong vicinity, dated to the Northern Wei Pingcheng period. Found within the tombs of Sima Jinlong (484) and Yanbei shiyuan M2 (late fifth century), this specific type of hybrid creature has been given the term renmian zhenmushou in their respective tomb reports. Archaeologists made a note of pointing out that the two clearly originated from the same tradition of craftsmanship, and that the discovery of these two hybrid creatures in the funerary sets was a peculiar finding that later had a lasting impact on human-faced guardian beasts that was carried on throughout the Northern dynasties and into the Sui and Tang periods.

Citation:

[Tseng, Chin-Yin. "GATEKEEPERS TO THE OTHER WORLD: HUMAN-FACED CREATURES AS TOMB PROTECTORS IN THE NORTHERN WEI." IJAH, vol. 1, no. 11, 2017, pp. 1059-1077. December.]