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An earthenware sculpture of a man standing upright. He is wearing shoulder armor, a helmet, and holding a long, oval shield at his side.

An earthenware sculpture of a man standing upright and facing diagonally to the left of the viewer. The image is angled from below him and he is on a white faded background. The entire piece is colored white with orange and red mottling all over. He is wearing a fabric that covers his thighs, layered shoulder armor, knotted cords vertically along his chest, and a flat helmet that drapes over the sides of his head and has a single extruding front point. At his side, his left hand is holding a long, oval shield that measures up to his hip. His right hand is placed down at his side in a fist.

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
2003.188
Title
Standing, Armor-Clad Guardian Warrior Wearing Pointed Boots and Helmet with Protective Neck and Ear Flaps, His Left Hand Holding a Shield Embellished with an Animal Mask, His Right Hand Positioned to Hold a Lance or Spear
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
funerary sculpture
Date
534 - 577
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China
Period
Eastern Wei (534-550) to Northern Qi (550-577)
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/146754

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1600, Early Chinese Art, Arts of Ancient China from the Bronze Age to the Golden Age
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Physical Descriptions

Medium
Molded, medium gray earthenware with cold-painted pigments over white ground
Dimensions
H. 49.5 x W. 16 x D. 12 cm (19 1/2 x 6 5/16 x 4 3/4 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
2003.188
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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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), pp. 93-94, cat. no. 20

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 1600 Early China II, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

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