"Sirens" in the East
Human-Headed Birds on Han Pictorial Stones and Their Transregional Connections
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5654584 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yu Sun (0009-0003-0107-823X, Durham University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Pages | 1335 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel16111335 |
| OpenAlex | W4415452405 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
Human-headed birds, a recurrent yet understudied motif on Han dynasty pictorial stones, are examined in this study with a focus on their mythical representations. Placed within visualisation of the world of the Queen Mother of the West, a belief popular in the Han Dynasty, these figures are argued to depict the Blue Birds (Qingniao) of Han mythology. Moreover, a distinct variation in the Shandong region shows a human-headed bird offering Jiahe, an auspicious plant, symbolising immortality and well-being in tomb art. Through a chaîne opératoire analysis, the paper traces their creation as a composite form, integrating familiar Han bird imagery-particularly owls-with Greco-Roman Siren elements transmitted along the Silk Road. The regional clustering of such depictions in zones of early cross-cultural contact underscores the role of external influences in shaping Han visual traditions. This study highlights how mythological beings were adapted amid shifting religious ideas and transregional interactions in early imperial China
Ancestor · Carrion · Immortality · Mythology · Visualization · Chinese history and philosophy · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |