2003.189.2: One of Two Standing, Mustachioed Male Figures, Each Wearing a Cape and a Full, Rounded Hat with Protective Neck and Ear Flap, and Each with His Hands Clasped at the Waist and Concealed under His Cape
SculptureA gray and white earthenware sculpture of a man standing upright and facing the viewer on a dark grey faded background. He is wearing a sleeved garment that covers his entire body with his feet poking out. He wears a knotted fabric around his collar and a rounded headpiece that drapes along and around the sides of his head. His hands are together in front of his chests, hidden by his sleeves. The figure has a thin, black mustache and red lips. He is mostly colored off-white with blue coloring along his sleeves and his face.
Gallery Text
After the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 CE, China entered a long period of disunion in which the north was occupied and at times ruled by ethnic minorities. The custom of producing ceramic tomb sculptures nevertheless carried on throughout this period, reaching its pinnacle in the Tang dynasty (618–907), one of the most peaceful, prosperous, cosmopolitan eras in China’s history. The Tang capital of Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi province) attracted numerous foreign traders, pilgrims, and goods, as the famed overland trade route known as the Silk Road terminated in this city. Large sets of ceramic sculptures representing the horses, camels, and foreign merchants that frequented northern China have been recovered from burials. Tang ceramic funerary retinues were especially elaborate, featuring fierce armored guards, proud court attendants, and aristocratic equestrians engaged in leisurely pursuits—all serving to demonstrate the high status of the tomb occupant. Large monster masks such as the one displayed here have been discovered on the lintels of tomb entrances, presumably as a means to ward off evil.
Identification and Creation
- Object Number
- 2003.189.2
- Title
- One of Two Standing, Mustachioed Male Figures, Each Wearing a Cape and a Full, Rounded Hat with Protective Neck and Ear Flap, and Each with His Hands Clasped at the Waist and Concealed under His Cape
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Work Type
- funerary sculpture
- Date
- 550 - 577
- Places
- Creation Place: East Asia, China
- Period
- Northern Qi, 550-577
- Culture
- Chinese
- Persistent Link
- https://hvrd.art/o/146583
Physical Descriptions
- Medium
- Molded, gray earthenware with cold-painted pigments
- Dimensions
- H. 27.5 x W. 8 x D. 7.5 cm (10 13/16 x 3 1/8 x 2 15/16 in.)
Provenance
- Recorded Ownership History
- Anthony M. Solomon, New York (by 2003), gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2003.
Acquisition and Rights
- Credit Line
- Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Anthony M. Solomon
- Accession Year
- 2003
- Object Number
- 2003.189.2
- Division
- Asian and Mediterranean Art
- Contact
- am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
- Permissions
-
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Publication History
- Virginia Bower, From Court to Caravan: Chinese Tomb Sculptures from the Collection of Anthony M. Solomon, exh. cat., ed. Robert D. Mowry, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, Mass., 2002), p. 95, cat. no. 21
Subjects and Contexts
- Google Art Project
Related Objects
Verification Level
This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu