Standing Figure
Chinese
Description
Subject Matter:
A standing warrior figure.
Since the Qin dynasty (221 - 206 BCE), ceramic figures have been used to replace human sacrifice in burial practices as mingqi (明器), literally "bright objects", or grave goods, as a way to provide for the deceased. Mingqi could include houses, towers, gates, granaries, livestock pens, chicken coops, wells, cooking stoves, storage vessels, dishes, incense burners, and lamps. Figures could include horses, dogs, anthropomorphic animals and people such as officials, guardians, servants and entertainers. By the Han dynasty, they also included representations of common people engaged in the activities that consumed their daily lives such a cooking. The tombs in southern provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi have revealed a vast array of figures in playful and humorous poses. As grave goods, these mingqi included everything one would need to ensure a comfortable transition into the afterlife. Tombs could contain anywhere from a few, to several hundred ceramic mingqi items.
Physical Description:
A red earthenware figure of a Chinese man, standing with hair in a top knot, wearing a long robe over pants, and holding a weapon on a long stick in front of him. The figure is covered in a green lead glaze, with iridescence and calcification.
Usage Rights:
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