The tomb beast 镇墓兽 is a mythical creature that the ancients buried with the deceased. It is generally placed at the entrance of the tomb and is believed to have the magical power of guarding the tomb and protecting the dead.
Stone Bi Xie (Tomb Beast) 石辟邪
Stone | Eastern Han Dynasty (25-230 AD) | Dimensions – L: ~3m, H: ~2m, Wt: ~8 ton | Luoyang Museum Collection, Excavated from Youfang Village, Mengjin County on December 1992 石雕｜东汉（公元25-220年）｜长约3米，高约2米，重量接近8吨｜洛阳博物馆藏，1992年12月孟津油坊村出士
Unearthed from the Youfang village, Luoyang, Henan province, in 1992, the stone bixie 石辟邪 is a treasure in the permanent collection of the Luoyang Museum. Inspired by Western artistic themes, the sculpture reflects the fusion of foreign artistry with Chinese culture.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), sculptures of mythical beasts were set beside ancient buildings and mausoleums to safeguard them. This stone bixie 辟邪 is such a stone-carved beast.
An early subject of Chinese monumental imperial tomb sculpture of the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD) is a winged leonine creature, designated in Chinese as a bixie 辟邪, meaning “to ward off evil spirits”. Lions are not native to China, but as fanciful supernatural creatures the Chinese adapted them into varied auspicious forms. Carved out of a single block of stone, the huge beast boasts a head resembling that of a lion, with a body akin to that of a tiger or leopard.
With mouth open, the bixie shows a fierce gaze, adorned with two wings sprouting from its shoulders. It displays an imposing posture as it stands firmly on its four legs with its tail curved, as if ready to spring forth into flight, epitomising the extravagant romanticism of Eastern Han sculpture.
The stone bixie was discovered accidentally by a farmer digging a drain at about 1km south of the Mausoleum of Eastern Han Emperor Wudi 汉光武帝陵. When it was discovered, the tongue, jaw and first toe of the left paw were damaged. It is the largest stone bixie found from the Han period.
Stone Tianlu (Mythical Beast) 石天禄
Stone | Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) | National Museum of China Collection, Unearthed at Luoyang, Henan Province 石雕｜东汉（公元25年一220年）｜中国国家博物院藏，河南洛阳西郊出士
Tianlu 天禄 was a mythical beast that usually appeared as tomb guardian in a pair with bixie in the Eastern Han. Inscription （“缑氏蒿聚成奴作”） incised on the back of this tianlu suggests that it was made by a craftsman named Cheng Nu from Goushi (present-day Yanshi Henan Province). The difference between a bixie and tianlu is the number of horns – the tianlu has one horn, the bixie has two.
Foreign Influence
The griffin-like monster was very popular in China in the period following the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and can be found in stone sculptures at mausoleums during the period of the Six Dynasties.
Some scholars have suggested that images of these monsters, which were considered to be auspicious animals in China, may in fact have been based the art of the Eurasian steppe or central and even western Asia.
Frieze of Griffins
Glazed tiles | Achaemenid period (c. 510 BC) | Louvre Museum Collection, Excavated from Apadana, west courtyard of the palace of Darius I, Susa, Iran
Achaemenid Empire was the ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. The artists of the Achaemenian period inherited a pictorial vocabulary rich in mythological creatures. The griffin-lion, often represented at Susa, is here pictured on an element of architectural decoration from the palace of King Darius I the Great (522-486 BC).
Embroidery with Horsemen
Embroidery | Xiongnu period (c. 1st century BC – 1st century AD) | Hermitage Museum, from the burial chamber of the 6th barrow at Noin-Ula, Mongolia
From a textile fragment excavated in a Xiongnu tomb at Noin-Ula in Mongolia, one can see elements found in the Achaemenid model such as big wings and the curling horn, similar to the bixie found at the tomb. The possible models could have come from Iran into Central Asia and then made their way through Xinjiang, reaching both Mongolia and Central China.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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