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Chimera
Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
Stone
L. 115 3/8 in. (293 cm)
Found in Mengjin, Henan Province, 1992
Luoyang Museum
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Chimeras, called bixie in Chinese, are mythical hybrids with leonine characteristics as well as wings and horns. They were often carved in stone and placed in pairs at the start of the pathway leading to a tomb. These ferocious beasts were thought to enhance the dignity of the tomb and to protect the dead from malevolent intrusion in the afterlife.
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