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Source Description
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 <em>qitou</em>, 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.<br><br>Before tomb sculptures were placed in the tomb, they were carried through the streets in a funerary procession. Funerary gifts provided the deceased with means for the afterlife. They were also an expression of filial piety and demonstrated the wealth and power of the descendants.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
161427
label
Tomb Guardian with Animal Head
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
161427
contentType
object
title
Tomb Guardian with Animal Head
description
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 <em>qitou</em>, 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.<br><br>Before tomb sculptures were placed in the tomb, they were carried through the streets in a funerary procession. Funerary gifts provided the deceased with means for the afterlife. They were also an expression of filial piety and demonstrated the wealth and power of the descendants.
date
early 700s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60761340
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 92.3 x 43.8 x 41.9 cm (36 5/16 x 17 1/4 x 16 1/2 in.)
cul
China, probably Shaanxi province, Xi'an, Tang dynasty (618-907)
accession
2000.118.1
Source extras
tec
glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color) ware
tombstone
Tomb Guardian with Animal Head (鎮墓獸), early 700s. China, probably Shaanxi province, Xi'an, Tang dynasty (618-907). Glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color) ware; overall: 92.3 x 43.8 x 41.9 cm (36 5/16 x 17 1/4 x 16 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of various donors to the department of Asian Art (by exchange), 2000.118.1
titleInOriginalLanguage
鎮墓獸
collection
China - Tang Dynasty
didYouKnow
<em>Sancai</em> (three-color) glazes in green, amber, and transparent white, plus expensive cobalt blue glaze, show the high social status of the tomb’s occupant.
citations
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, “Tomb Guardian Pair from Tang Dynasty Acquired by CMA,” December 12, 2000, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives.
citation
May, Sally Ruth, Jane Takac, and Barbara J. Bradley. <em>Knockouts: A Pocket Guide</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 79, p. 74–75; Mentioned: p. 119
citation
“A Selection of 2001 Museum Acquisitions.” <em>Apollo: The International Magazine of Art & Antiques</em> 154 (December 2001): 24–57.
page_number
p. 27
citation
Franklin, David and C. Griffith Mann. <em>Treasures from the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2012.
page_number
Reproduced: pp. 74–75
citation
Bidwell, Frederick E. and Leslie Cade. <em>The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art; New York, NY: Scala Arts Publishers, 2014.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 95
citation
von Spee, Clarissa. "Good or Evil? Demons, ghosts, and goblins in Chinese art.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>64, no. 3 (2024): 10–11.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 10
creditline
Gift of various donors to the department of Asian Art (by exchange)
galleryDonorText
Clara T. Rankin Galleries of Chinese Art
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:23:52.255000
sourceId
161427
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Tang Dynasty
med
glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color) ware
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0f5d716916119435