Introduction:
The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac (rat, ox, tiger, hare,
dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog, and pig) are well-known
symbols associated with forecasting people's futures and determining
their character. By the fourth century B.C., they were well established
in Chinese thought; the earliest depictions appear in ceiling paintings
from a tomb dated 533. During the Tang dynasty, pottery representations
of these symbols were placed in tombs, reflecting the court's fascination
with divination and astrology. They were typically hybrid human/animal
creatures similar to the figurines shown here, created in the nineteenth
century during a revival of interest in mythology, astrology, and
divination.
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