Lot 73
China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 618 to 907 CE, probably from the 8th century CE. This is a large, hollow, unglazed pottery figure of a Bactrian camel wearing a harness and laden with saddle bags. This camel was made to be a tomb figure, known as mingqi. Tang dynasty elites had underground tombs full of pottery figures that were made to care for their every need in the afterlife. This figure may have been painted (rather than glazed), but the paint will have flaked off in the intervening years. The art of the Tang Dynasty is truly international, reflecting a world in which the Chinese court spread its influence through military conquest and trade to Central Asia, India, Persia, Africa, and southeastern Asia. In this prosperous period, Tang elites imitated the style of the Persians, wearing high boots, short tunics, and leopard skin hats. Music, sport, and dance all emulated Central Asian styles and made them their own. Nothing is more representative of this cultural milieu than the figure of the Bactrian camel who, with his saddle bags, carried so many of these goods and, by extension, practices east and west along the Silk Road. Travelling west from the Tang capital, Chang'an, the Silk Road passed through Taklamakan Desert. The Bactrian camel was vital to this transport because of its abilities -- to go without water for a week, to travel 30 miles a day, and to carry hundreds of pounds, as well as to withstand very hot and very cold temperatures. This particular camel figure was displayed in the Denver Art Museum in the 1960s. Size: 12" L x 5.25" W x 11.25" H (30.5 cm x 13.3 cm x 28.6 cm).
Provenance: Ex- Sarkisian Gallery, Denver, CO acquired in the 1950's. Displayed, Denver Art Museum, 1960's.
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#112749
- Condition: This piece has been repaired but the repairs are difficult to see. There is some soil encrustation and wear, but the shape of the figure is clear.
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