Statue

Tomb Sculpture

Object Number:

C657

Current Location:

China Gallery

Culture:

Chinese

Provenience:

China
Henan

Period:

Northern Wei Dynasty

Date Made:

4th-5th century

Early Date:

300

Late Date:

499

Section:

Asian

Materials:

Stone

Technique:

Carved

Iconography:

Qilin

Description:

One of a pair of colossal stone qilins (C656 and C657). Female. Mythical qilin figures are predominately feline. The decorative treatment of the bulging chest differentiates the female, which has curved lines that run horizontally like jewelry, from the male, which has lines that run vertically from the neck down. Unlike the male, the female also has two horns.

Credit Line:

Purchased from C. T. Loo

Current & Past Exhibitions:

Chinese Rotunda (1968)

Chinese Halls (1941 - 1966)

Bibliography:

[Article] Jayne, Horace H. 1941. The Chinese Collections of The University Museum: A Handbook of the Principal Objects. The University Museum Bulletin. 9 (2-3) : Page/Fig./Plate: Fig. 1

[Article] Jayne, Horace H. 1939. Chinese Art at the University Museum. Parnassus. 11 (1) : Page/Fig./Plate: Illustration

[Book] March, Benjamin. 1929. China and Japan in our Museums. : Page/Fig./Plate: 87

[Article] Siren, Osvald. 1928. Winged Chimeras in Early Chinese Art. Eastern Art. Volume I (No. 2): 86-96. : Page/Fig./Plate: 87-96, Plates 9, 10

[Article] Fernald, Helen E. 1927. Two Colossal Stone Chimeras from A Chinese Tomb. The Museum Journal. Volume XVIII (No. 2): 159-173. : Page/Fig./Plate: 159-173/e