Exhibition Guide
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Figure of a Striding Camel
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Looking at a Mighty Animal
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Looking at the Colors
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Hear an Ancient Description
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Art Object Info
This clay camel was made with fourteen separate molds: eight molds for the legs (two for each leg), two for the humps, two for the body/neck, and two for the head/neck. The bright lead glaze, applied in layers, provides a good approximation of the beast’s heavy, matted fur. The runny nature of the glaze is shown by the splashes which fell on the slab base.
Tang dynasty tombs belonging to the aristocratic or military elite were furnished with all the accoutrements necessary for the deceased’s comfort and amusement. Sedate ladies; girls paying polo; solemn dignitaries; horses saddled, bridled and ready to ride; camels carrying heavy packs; fearsome guardian creatures; and copies of Near Eastern metalwork are among the types of mortuary pottery that have been discovered in these tombs. By so amply providing for the soul of the deceased, survivors aimed to secure the ancestor’s favor and protect themselves from a vengeful soul’s dissatisfaction.
Equally importantly, the family reinforced its social stature by carrying furnishings to the tomb in an ostentatious display of filial piety and disposable wealth. Ironically, some families were bankrupted by this lavish practice, which had its roots in Bronze Age burials. An imperial decree of 742 sought to limit the contents of tombs based on the rank of the deceased: officials of the third rank and above were permitted up to 70 figures, while commoners were allowed only 15 at most.
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Art Object Info
This clay camel was made with fourteen separate molds: eight molds for the legs (two for each leg), two for the humps, two for the body/neck, and two for the head/neck. The bright lead glaze, applied in layers, provides a good approximation of the beast’s heavy, matted fur. The runny nature of the glaze is shown by the splashes which fell on the slab base.
Tang dynasty tombs belonging to the aristocratic or military elite were furnished with all the accoutrements necessary for the deceased’s comfort and amusement. Sedate ladies; girls paying polo; solemn dignitaries; horses saddled, bridled and ready to ride; camels carrying heavy packs; fearsome guardian creatures; and copies of Near Eastern metalwork are among the types of mortuary pottery that have been discovered in these tombs. By so amply providing for the soul of the deceased, survivors aimed to secure the ancestor’s favor and protect themselves from a vengeful soul’s dissatisfaction.
Equally importantly, the family reinforced its social stature by carrying furnishings to the tomb in an ostentatious display of filial piety and disposable wealth. Ironically, some families were bankrupted by this lavish practice, which had its roots in Bronze Age burials. An imperial decree of 742 sought to limit the contents of tombs based on the rank of the deceased: officials of the third rank and above were permitted up to 70 figures, while commoners were allowed only 15 at most.