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Western Xia Tomb 3: Kalavinka
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Western Xia Tomb 3: Kalavinka
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Western Xia Tomb 3: Kalavinka
CHINA, Ningxia, Yinchuan; Western Xia period (1032–1227); Terracotta; H: 38.8 cm; Western Xia Museum, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
The statue was found in Tomb 3 of the Western Xia Tombs in 2001 and was once an architectural ornament. The kalavinka has a human head and a bird-like body. The creature 's hands are folded in reverence before the chest. The wrists are adorned with bracelets, while a thick necklace hangs over the chest. The hair is tied into a topknot behind a headdress from which large ribbons hang down to the shoulders. An urna is located on the forehead, above a pair of slanted eyes. The wings expand outward, each feather carved with great detail, and the tail rises in a high arc behind the front facing form. The figure perches on a cloud-patterned base. |
