Chiwen

Chiwen roof-ornament on the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Beijing.

Glazed chiwen of Western Xia.

Chiwen (Chinese: 蚩吻; pinyin: chīwěn; Wade–Giles: ch'ih-wen; lit. 'hornless-dragon mouth') is an roof ornamental motif in traditional Chinese architecture and art. Chiwen is also the name of a Chinese dragon that mixes features of a fish, and in Chinese mythology is one of the nine sons of the dragon, which are also used as imperial roof decorations. As architectural ornaments or waterspouts, they are comparable with Western gargoyles, but are not related to the mythological character.