【Relics Become Icons】Northern Wei Tomb-guarding Warrior Figurine

今年3月，随着春节假期结束的返工潮，山西一款以镇墓武士俑为原型的文创“打工俑”在网上悄然走红。当古老的墓葬守护者，化身为当代职场年轻人的“嘴替”，一场跨越千年的文化共鸣就此展开。

This March, as people returned to work after the Spring Festival holiday, a cultural creative product from Shanxi—a “Working Figurine” inspired by a tomb-guarding warrior—quietly went viral online. When an ancient tomb guardian transforms into a relatable symbol for today’s young office workers, a cross-millennium cultural resonance begins to unfold.

这尊“打工俑”的原型，现陈列于大同市博物馆二楼北魏展厅。作为中国墓葬文化中的重要角色，镇墓武士俑是陪伴在墓主人身边的“守门员”。在古人“事死如事生”观念的影响下，这类俑像频繁出现于墓葬之中，起到镇妖驱邪、守护墓主人安宁的作用。北魏是镇墓武士俑发展较为兴盛的时期，而作为北魏核心区域的山西，出土了大量此类文物。它们造型风格鲜明，多身着铠甲，或手持兵器，或一手持兵器一手持盾，呈站立或半蹲状，威风凛凛。

The prototype of this “Working Figurine” is displayed in the Northern Wei exhibition hall on the second floor of the Datong Museum. As an important figure in Chinese burial culture, the tomb-guarding warrior served as the “gatekeeper” accompanying the tomb owner. Influenced by the ancient belief in “serving the dead as one would serve the living,” such figurines frequently appeared in tombs, tasked with warding off evil spirits and protecting the peace of the deceased. The Northern Wei dynasty marked a flourishing period for the development of tomb-guarding warrior figurines, and Shanxi—the heartland of the Northern Wei—has yielded many such artifacts. These figurines share distinctive stylistic features: most are clad in armor, either holding weapons or bearing a weapon in one hand and a shield in the other, standing or half-crouching in a formidable stance.

大同市博物馆收藏的这尊北魏武士俑，学术资料如此描述它：“头戴兜鍪，双目怒睁，鼻孔朝天，大嘴厚唇，牙齿外露。”它本是守护墓主人的威严存在，却因其极具辨识度的面部特征，被游客戏称为“博物馆显眼包”，迅速走红网络。那夸张的怒目、朝天翻起的鼻孔、外露的厚唇，在千年之后，不再令人畏惧，反而透出一种莫名的喜感。

The academic records describe this particular Northern Wei warrior figurine from the Datong Museum as follows: “wearing a helmet, eyes wide with anger, nostrils flaring upward, large mouth with thick lips, teeth exposed.” Originally a majestic guardian of the tomb owner, its highly distinctive facial features led visitors to jokingly call it the “museums’s standout character,” propelling it to internet fame. Those exaggerated angry eyes, upturned nostrils, and thick, exposed lips, a thousand years later, no longer inspire fear but instead exude an inexplicable charm and humor.

博物馆顺势推出同款文创，以这尊武士俑为原型，进行了Q版毛绒化重构。设计者精准保留了它“丑萌”的神韵——凸起的眼球依旧略显呆滞，鼻孔朝天形似“猪鼻”，标志性的“香肠嘴”向下咧着，平添了几分无奈与喜感。头顶的玻璃瓶背后写着两个大字：“瓶啥”。手里拎着公文包，身穿西装、打着领带——俨然一套职场“打工人”行头。

The museum promptly launched a cultural creative product based on this figurine, reimagining it in a chibi-style plush form. The designers meticulously preserved its “ugly-cute” essence—the bulging eyes remain slightly vacant, the upturned nostrils resemble a pig’s snout, and the signature “sausage lips” curl downward, adding a touch of resigned amusement. A small glass bottle sits atop its head, with two large characters written on the back: “Píng Shá” (a playful phonetic pun meaning "Why Me?"). In its hand, it carries a briefcase, dressed in a suit and tie—the quintessential attire of a modern “office worker”.

为什么这么“丑”的玩偶，却成了博物馆的爆款？因为它用一种幽默的方式，喊出了无数职场年轻人的心声——“凭啥？”这两个字，是打工人的小小反抗，也是日常压力的温柔消解。上班疲惫时看一眼这只小小的毛绒挂件，好笑又解压，也让古老的北魏文化变得亲切有趣。

Why has this “ugly” doll become such a hit at the museum? Because it voices, in a humorous way, the sentiments of countless young office workers—”Why me?” These two words represent a small act of resistance for the working stiff and offer a gentle release from daily stress. A glance at this little plush keychain during a tiring moment at work is both amusing and cathartic, while also making the ancient Northern Wei culture feel accessible and engaging.

当千年前肃杀的镇墓武士穿越时空，守护起现代人的职场情绪，文物与人的距离，在这一刻被悄然拉近。它让我们看到：文化的生命力，从来不止于展柜之中，更在于它能以怎样的方式，继续陪伴每一个时代的普通人。

When a thousand-year-old “guardian” travels through time to protect modern people’s workplace emotions, the distance between cultural relic and people is quietly bridged. It reminds us that the vitality of culture never resides solely behind display cases, but also in how it continues to accompany ordinary people in every era.

（图源网络侵删）

(The image source is from the internet. If infringement, it will be deleted.)

来源：中华网综合整理

Source: Comprehensive collation by sx.china.com