Tianlu and Bixie
Tianlu (heavenly emolument) and
Bixie (evil dispeller) are two Chinese
mythological animals that herald in good fortune and keep evil
at bay. Both look like a lion except for their wings. The one with only
one horn on this head is tianlu and the one with two horns is Bixie.
During the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), the images of both animals
were for ornamentation purposes. Sculptures of them
were placed in front of tombs to suggest the dignity and power and authority
the deceased enjoyed in their lifetime. As symbols of bravery and immunity
to evil, the two animals are meant for those aspiring to ascend to heaven
to ride on. Images of tianlu and Bixie were inscribed, embroidered or
carved on fabrics, army banners, bands and hooks, or the handles of
seals and bells in ancient times.
Tianlu and Bixie are cast in a pair of gigantic sculptures that stand
along with stone pillars on the holy way that leads to a tomb in the
eastern suburbs of Nanjing. Buried in the tomb are the remains
of XiaoHong, the younger bother of Emperor Wudi of the Liang
dynasty. The sculpture of Bixie, 3.8 metres
tall, 3.8 metres long and 1.55 metres wide, has a plump body and thick
and short neck, its chest puffing and its belly protruding, and walking
in giant strides with its tongue handing out of its wide open mouth.
This is by far the best-preserved large stone sculpture of Bixie.
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