Finial for funeral canopy [V-3135]
South-western Inner Mongolia
5th-4th century BC

The great ridged horns and small beard identify this animal as a wild goat, either the bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus), or the ibex (Capra ibex). Both are elusive inhabitants of higher altitudes of the steppe zones and would have been a food source for the skilled steppe hunters. The placement of these animals on poles of the funeral canopy might refer either to the hunting accomplishments of the deceased, or perhaps his clan.