Vigorously
carved chimera pair with stretching legs and heads rearing forward, the mystical
beast is characterized with upright ears, open mouth, bulging eyes and protruding
fangs in archaic pose. The ferocious demeanor of these guardian beasts are expressively
portrayed in the mother and pup chimera pair. The
initial appearance of chimera design can be traced back to Shang dynasty (1600-1027
B.C.), approximately a thousand years ahead of the mythical guardian lion design
found in the Han (206 B.C.-220 A.D.).