Chinese zodiac · culture
Chinese zodiac animals in art
A zodiac motif can identify one birth year or place an animal in a complete twelve-part cycle. Animal-headed tomb figures and small carved sets show the sequence in three-dimensional art.
A complete set tells a different story
A single Rat motif identifies one animal. A twelve-figure set shows the whole sequence. Tang tomb sets use animal heads on robed figures; later sets can portray the animals themselves.
Design your own motif
Begin with an identifiable animal outline. Add its animal character, such as 龙 for Dragon, separately from its Earthly Branch 辰. A ring with twelve marked positions can show where it sits in the sequence.