An inscription is located on the back side of this early Tuoba Xianbei piece, a three-letter line that reads: "Yituo's gold." Yituo, along with his brother Luguan (both were the sons of the Xianbei ruler Liwei) played a pivotal role in the establishment of Xianbei military dominance of northern China circa 295 CE. This piece was found in the Xiaobeizitan site in Liangcheng Counry in the Wulanchabu League, Inner Mongolia, along with other artifacts. The design feature four horse-like creatures with claws; the two creatures on the bottom appear to be expelling something from their mouths, possibly flames. Though no clear identification is possible, these proto-dragons may be related to a mythical creature that was believed to live in the far north among the people known as the Di.

It is generally believed that the Xiongnu were for the most part absorbed by the Xianbei after the break-up of their empire. One scholar has noted that the workmanship of this plaque appears to be Xiongnu, but the motif is distinctly Xianbei,¹ an observation shich may suggest that many aspects of Xiongnu culture remained distinct many centuries after the dissolution of their empire.

(1) Adam T. Kessler, Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan (Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1993), p. 79.