Tomb of Princess Linhe

The Tomb of Princess Linhe was discovered in Cixian County, Hebei in 1979. The remnants of pillaged treasure and many artifacts were unearthed from it, including a Gold Piece with Flower and Apsaras Motifs, the Rice Husking Maid, a shaman figure, the Figure with Cage Crown, the Standing Figure in Pottery in Hood. A thousand vessels and clay figures were found. The figures include depictions of civil officials, warriors and servants wearing different costumes that provided information on the costumes used at the time. Scholars have remarked on the "nomadic character" of the shaman figure, due to the Rouran origins of the princess. Although the tomb was pillaged, it still contained, in addition to the aforementioned artifacts, vessels, Byzantine coins, gold and jeweled ornaments. The latter include a "striking gold placque" inlaid with pearls and amber. The tomb consists of one brick chamber measuring by , with a sloping corridor connecting the chamber to a passageway, in the style of the northern dynasties. The tomb is square, with the walls bowing into a cupola on the top. Fragments of stars were found among the remains of the ceiling (now collapsed), which was once decorated with the firmament, and mythological images. The walls are thoroughly covered with images. Her body was found on a platform with a border of limestone. Her tomb is one of the few excavated tombs from the mid-sixth century, and one of the three largest tombs in the Ye region. Further, the tomb is the "earliest known long, sloping passageway decorated with life-size guards," and with its overall style it heralds a "decisive visual change." == References ==