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A white earthenware mask of a bat-like monster’s face and claws on both sides. It makes a snarling expression with wide eyes. There are multi-colored faded details all over the piece.

A white earthenware mask of a bat-like monster’s face and claws on both sides. It lays flat on a black background. It makes a snarling expression with wide eyes and pointed teeth showing. It has small, pointed ears and a tiny animalistic figure between its browbones. There is cut-out empty space between its teeth and mouth. There are multi-colored faded details all over the piece with red lines around its mouth, green lines around the outer edges, and dark lines along the edges and on the ears. It’s teeth are colored black with much wear.

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
2006.169.2
Title
Large "Pushou" Monster Mask
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, mask
Date
late 7th-early 8th Century
Period
Tang dynasty, 618-907
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/317270

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1600, Early Chinese Art, Arts of Ancient China from the Bronze Age to the Golden Age
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Molded white earthenware with cold-painted pigments, gold leaf, and silver leaf
Dimensions
H. 44 x W. 50 x D. 17.5 cm (17 5/16 x 19 11/16 x 6 7/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1998] sold; to Walter C. Sedgwick, Woodside, CA (1998-2006), partial gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2006.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Partial gift of Walter C. Sedgwick and partial purchase through the generosity of the Ralph C. Marcove International Understanding Through Arts and Crafts Foundation
Accession Year
2006
Object Number
2006.169.2
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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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