China, probably Shaanxi province, Xi'an, Tang dynasty (618-907) / early 700s
Tomb Guardian with Animal Head
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Tomb Guardian with Animal Head as ceramic (China, probably Shaanxi province, Xi'an, Tang dynasty (618-907) · early 700s).
Sancai (three-color) glazes in green, amber, and transparent white, plus expensive cobalt blue glaze, show the high social status of the tomb’s occupant.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color) ware.
The museum's collection notes: With their fierce expressions and exaggerated physical features, fantastic guardian creatures were intended to guard the entrance to a tomb, warding off evil as well as keeping the soul of the deceased from wandering. Known as "earth spirits" or qitou , this one has an animal face and a pair of antlers growing above its eyebrows; the other sports a human face with huge protruding ears and a short horn surrounded by fiery, twisting hair. Their many elongated spikes heighten the fearful intensity. Before tomb sculptures were placed in the tomb, they were carried through the streets in a funerary procession. Funerary gifts provided the deceased
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtTomb Guardian with Animal HeadOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.