Chimera (Bixie) (a); magnifying glass (b)
Not on view
Miniature depictions of animals began to appear in the middle of the Han dynasty. The perforation in the body of this solid gold chimera suggests that it was worn as a pendant or perhaps as one of several “beads.” Such ornaments are likely to have been inspired by small animal-shaped hardstone beads that were imported from South and Southeast Asia. Hardstone beads have been discovered in Han royal tombs in many Chinese provinces. They have also been excavated from contemporary sites along the coast of Vietnam and Thailand as well as in source countries including northern Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
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