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

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