This pair of stone statues are called 石像生 or 石翁仲. Some might see them as nice ornaments but you probably won’t place them anywhere near your premise if you know what they really represent.
You’ll find them guarding the home of the emperors and members of the royal family in China – in their afterlife. Right, these are tomb guardians. They were sporadically installed during the Eastern Han period and became popular in the Song period. Then finally inducted into the tomb system of the Ming-Qing period.
These huge stone sculptures come in various forms, e.g. military generals, civil officers, animals, mythical beasts, etc. They are placed in pairs on either side of the grand entrance leading to the tomb (神道), the variety and quantity will depend on the deceased’s status and his contribution to the country.
石像生, alongside the famed terracotta warriors (兵马俑) and Tri-colour glazed ceramic horse (唐三彩), while exquisite and gorgeous, are often considered a taboo for superstitious Chinese.
Interesting to find them at the entrance of ACM – Asian Civilization Museum.
