Ron O'Callaghan - Oriental Rug Review - Asian Trade at Old Kelley Tavern
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CHINESE FUNERARY FIGURES

by Ron O'Callaghan

In ancient China there was a long tradition of the placing in tombs of clay model figures that related to the life of the deceased and his station in life. The first large group of these figures come to us from the middle to late Han Dynasty (206B.C. - 221A.D.). It was during the Han period that a vigorous middle class evolved. The well-to-do, whether religious, military, merchant, or court connected, had long had their tombs furnished with plentiful and often quite elaborate representations of their wealth and ways of life. When the middle class reached critical mass, its members too wanted representations of their domesticated animals, their pets, models of their buildings, implements, their servants, their farms, their homes, their friends and their colleagues to accompany them on the great journey that was their afterlife. There are whole categories of these grave goods including model granaries, wells, stoves, representations of farmyards and such mundane things as combination pig sties and privies. So, from middle to late Han on through Tang and further to the Ming period a rich record in miniature exists, giving us great insight into the lives and times of those who so briefly passed this way.

We can be sure that a vigorous industry developed to supply these goods. We can easily imagine a craftsperson or his agent approaching someone in the afternoon of life saying, "Don't you want your ancestors, your parents, your grandparents to know that you had much wealth and such a large farm. We will make for you a replica of your great granary, your rice mill, your well..." Not all ancient Chinese bought into these funerary figures. The Emperor Hsiao I (AD 508-554) urged his people, "not to put those clay objects on my grave, since the clay dogs would not keep guard at night, nor the clay cocks crow at dawn." Fortunately for us such naysayers were few.

CHF1. A burial figure of either a scholar or religious person stands 7 1/2" high, including a 1/2" plinth. The man wears a long coat and a hat over his long, pony-tailed hair

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CHF2. A rooster, partial milk chocolate glaze, 3 3/4" high. Follow this link to another view of this piece.

CHF3. Tomb guard dog, Tibetan mastiff, 6" high, 7" long.. The earliest mention of Tibetan mastiffs comes from 1121 BC, when it was written that the Emperor of China received as a gift such a dog, trained as a bloodhound for the pursuit of men. A later reference calls them "hunters of bear, wolves and men." All mastiffs, including those of the Tibetan persuasion, can be traced back to one wild genus, the Canis niger, or black Tibetan wolf. Other funerary dogs are depicted as in normal life, curled up asleep as if beside a fire. This dog is clearly on the alert, and tail looped over its back so that in combat it can not be grabbed by an opponent. We can easily imagine him staring, muscles aquiver, perhaps hearing grave robbers prying away at the grave's entrance. Follow this link to another view of this piece.

CHF4. A burial figure of a religious person stands 7 1/4" high. The man wears a long robe and a mitre-like head covering. Follow this link to another view of this piece.

CHF5. This is a red clay depiction of a recumbent wild boar. Apparently it was glazed, but the glaze has eroded and only oxidised flecks remain Follow this link to another view of this piece.

CHF6. A Tang Dynasty soldier, 13" high, in uniform coat and head gear. His right hand is pierced to receive a wooden shafted spear. He stands on a 3/4" plinth that is not visible in this direct scan. Follow this link to another view of this piece. Follow this link to another view of this piece.

CHF7. A clay horse head, 6 1/2" high, base 4 1/2"x2 1/2", represents a military mount that was made for placement in the tomb of a military leader. It was modeled on Bactrian ponies that were acquired by the Chinese military in northern Afghanistan. These were sturdy animals that could be trained to be fierce chargers. This example is so presented with its bulging eyes, flaring nostrils and strongly sculpted musculature. There are piercings on either side of the figure's mane to receive plumes. When placed in the tomb this horse head would have been set on a wooden model of a horse's body.

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CHF8. This gray clay model of a chicken is 4 1/4" high, 5" long, is very realistically detailed which is a characteristic of late Han period model making. This hen's maker left his fingerprints on and around the tail feathers.

CHF9. This is a burial model of a flute player, 3 1/2" high, made of red clay and bears a green glaze which is chipped in places. The musician is wearing a vaguely military coat and cap, but has his sleeves rolled up in a most un-military manner.

CHF10. Here we have a clay pheasant, or other game bird, finished in a polychrome glaze. This piece has a beautiful form with an unbroken double curve running from the crest to the end of the tail feathers that run to the bottom of the plinth. A kiln spur appears on the right wing, caused by the piece touching another piece when fired in the kiln.