Winged horse beast,

6th or 7th century

These glazed, reddish earthenware tiles are molded into high-relief depictions of fantastic beasts: A green horse with a wing and an eye on its shoulder devours an animal; an amber, porcine creature with wings and a spiked mane stands with mouth agape; and a demon with bulging eyes and flamelike wings grasps a scaly snake in its claws. Comparisons with the designs of Northern Qi (550–577) stone-relief figures from the Xiangtangshan cave temples in Hebei province suggest a contemporaneous date; however, the tile’s glazing technique is associated with the Tang dynasty. The tiles probably lined the walls or platform of a pagoda or tomb; at least twenty- four other tiles from the same set are known to survive.