The soldiers carry spears, lances and shields; leather bags and water bottles are attached to their clothes. Their facial features are clearly non-chinese most probably Xianbei (turko-mongolian). It is an historical fact that in the Northern Zhou period the army was made by Xianbei soldiers.

Foreigners have been often represented in Chinese burial sculpture an exhibition on “Foreigners in Ancient Chinese Art from Private and Museum collections” was organized by the China House Gallery in 1969 by E. Schloss.,
See a pair of Sui pottery figures with similar features from the collection of Mr and Mrs James E. Breece III sold at Christies’ in 2003 (NY 09/2003).

Ref: “The E. Schloss Collection of Chinese Pottery Figurines” New York, 1963 illustrating terracotta figurines of Persians, Indians, Mongols, Turkish peoples, Semitic types, etc., from the Han and Tang

TL tested