Chinese Tang Dynasty Terracotta Guard Statuette

£ 295.00

A finely hollow-moulded terracotta Chinese Tang period statuette of a male, possibly a guard. He is wearing a mid-length tunic with elbow-length sleeves, tied at the waist. He also wears a hood-like headpiece tied below his chin. His one arm is held to the side and the other hand to his abdomen. There is a perforation to the hand, which would possibly have once held a staff-like weapon, or was used for offerings, such as incense. His face has been carved with high precision, with his eyes, nose, and mouth carefully detailed. There are small traces of the original orange and dark blue pigment notably upon the figure’s lower arms, legs and chest.

Date: Circa AD 618-906
Period: Tang Dynasty
Provenance: From the collection of a West Country gentleman, formed in 1970s.
Condition: Good condition with minor hairline vertical cracks to the sides of figure as consistent with age. Chips to the back of left arm and right leg.

In stock

Grave goods were an important status symbol in ancient China, used by those of importance and affluent as companions in their travels through the afterlife, and would take the form of familiar people, items and animals. Such figures, known as mingqi in Chinese, were to provide service and entertainment to their owner as they journeyed to the underworld. Such terracotta figures were originally placed at each side of the entrance of the tomb gate, which was located at the end of a long underground ramp. Mingqi gained their notoriety through the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty, whose terracotta army is widely known. Yet, the Tang Dynasty were responsible for the largest volume and variation of terracotta figures. The advent of new production techniques in this period, using moulds, allowed for production on an unprecedented scale.

To discover more about Tang statuettes, please visit our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants.

Weight 228.8 g
Dimensions W 3.5 x H 15.9 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

Reference: For a similar statuette, The British Museum, Item 1912,1231.9

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