Tang Dynasty, 740CE
Zhenmushou, Tomb Guardian
In ancient China it was widely believed that humans have two souls: the hun and the po. After death, the hun left the body, but the po stayed behind, inhabiting the corpse. Burial was a lonely place for the po, left by themselves in the tomb, so a tradition developed to leave objects in the tomb that the po might need. These burial objects, called mingqi, might include eating utensils, musical instruments, a favorite item of clothing, or a warrior’s preferred weapon. read more
