Mythical animal, Chu State, Eastern Zhou, Spring and Autumn period, 770-476 BCE. Excavated in Xujialing, Xichuan county, Henan Province, in 1990.Bronze inlaid with malachite, height 48 cm. Institute of Archeology and Cultural Relics, Henan Province.

This fantastical animal, which is one of a pair, may have served as a drum stand. It is composed of a tiger's body and a dragon's head, on which six small dragons writhe. On its back stands another animal, a dragon emerging from its mouth. The body is inlaid with malachite in the form of dragons, phoenixes, and spirals, which add to the feeling of frenzied movement.