A cosmology in which the boundaries between species are permeable might produce art that represents that permeability visually.

Another interpretation connects the hybrids to specific mythological beings: creatures that have names and stories in the tradition of the people who created the art, even if those names and stories have not survived.

The griffin-deer may not be a philosophical abstraction but a specific being with a specific role in the Pazyryk mythological world.

A third interpretation emphasizes the purely aesthetic dimension: the hybrid figures are beautiful, dynamic, and visually striking.

They demonstrate artistic skill and imagination.