Tomb guardian, one of a pair

The entrance to the tomb of a wealthy and highly privileged member of the Tang aristocracy could be elaborate. Leading to the tomb was a spirit path (shendao) flanked by pairs of stone animals and human attendants. A doorway marked the entrance to the tomb proper, and the path continued, in the form of a ramp, to the burial chamber. Guardians in clay flanked this ramp. This pair of guardians is among the most elaborate found in any tomb.