Mortuary Figurine
Object Number:
C466
Current Location:
China Gallery
Culture:
Chinese
Provenience:
China
Period:
Tang Dynasty
Date Made:
Tang Dynasty
Early Date:
618
Late Date:
906
Section:
Asian
Materials:
Clay
Glaze
Technique:
Three Color Glaze
Glazed
Fired
Iconography:
Camel
Description:
Mortuary figure. Glazed pottery figure of a camel with a pack. This figurine would have been placed in a tomb with other ceremonial and everyday objects, such as horses and mounted musicians. Animal subjects were believed to help the soul communicate with spirits and make travel in the afterlife more comfortable. Camels, associated with trade and travel, were the main means of transport along the Silk Road. Passing through the Gobi Desert, camels were better suited to handle the heat, earning the name "ships of the desert". This camels has two humps and can be identified as a bactrian camel. Three color ware. Amber predominating. C461 through C468 is a set.
Credit Line:
Purchased from C. T. Loo
Current & Past Exhibitions:
Chinese Rotunda (1968)
Bibliography:
[Book] 1983. Compton's Encyclopedia. : Page/Fig./Plate: p. 297a
[Article] Fernald, H. E. 1925. Mortuary Figures of the T'ang Dynasty. The Museum Journal. Volume XVI (No. 3): 153-181. : Page/Fig./Plate: pg. 171
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