It's just this kind of slightly crazy animal depiction that was the subject of my master's thesis, long long ago . . . a type of nomadic metalwork in northern & western Asia in the first millennium BC . . . which is why I was burrowing around in the Ordos area, among other northern and western Asian places!

You're lucky to have some examples, Will! My entire personal collection of nomadic metalwork consists of one bronze Scythian arrowhead excavated in Egypt. But I've given up feeling sorry for myself. Took over 30 years, but I'm OK now . . . (whine).