Stone Tortoise Bearing the Epitaph of Li Shou

630 AD
Beilin Museum, Xi'an

Li Shou was a cousin of emperor Gaozu, who like all the Tang emperors was a member of the Li family. When Li Shou died, this very unusual epitaph was buried with him in his tomb. Its title is carved on the outside of the removable shell, and its text is underneath the shell. The tortoise would be an appropriate animal for this, since tortoises carried the upright steles on which epitaphs were usually written.