Tang dynasty tomb figures of Liu Tingxun
Chinese Tang dynasty tomb figures | |
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![]() Horses and grooms from the tomb of Liu Tingxun on display in the British Museum | |
Material | Glazed ceramic |
Size | c. 100 cm high |
Created | Tang dynasty |
Discovered | Luoyang |
Present location | British Museum, London |
The Tang dynasty tomb figures of Liu Tingxun (劉庭訓) are thirteen
Description
The thirteen figures consist of five pairs and a set of three. All of the figures were decorated using the sancai[1] ("three colours") technique developed during the Tang dynasty. The colours used in the glazes were a recent innovation at the time. These colours were produced by adding layers of metallic element oxides and firing them at 750 to 800 degrees celsius. Copper oxide was used to produce a green colour and iron oxide was used to produce orange or brown. Other elements create more exotic colours. The first Sancai ceramics from the Tang dynasty were recovered in the early twentieth century.[2]
The leading pair are semi-human, winged and cloven and are designed to scare off any intruders into the tomb. One of these has a human face. Behind the leading pair are two
History
Liu Tingxun was a general and Imperial privy councillor who lived in the middle of the Tang dynasty. Liu was a general of the Zhongwu army as well as a lieutenant of the
General Liu Tingxun's position and wealth is demonstrated not just from the ceramic figures but also from the obituary text that was reputedly found within the tomb. The association of Liu Tingxun and this funerary text with the figures is based on an article written R.L. Hobson in the
The figures unearthed in Liu's tomb are representative of a type which has been found in great numbers in urban areas of northwest China. These statues are a symbol of the high status of the person buried within these tombs. This style of ceramic tomb figure is thought to have been fashionable for about fifty years from around 700 AD.[6] The figures were bought by the British Museum from the orientalist George Eumorfopoulos in 1935-6. The price was below the market rate and was reported as a "princely gesture" where Eumorfopoulos sold and donated a vast collection to both the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.[7]
Gallery
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Horses and grooms from the tomb ensemble
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All 13 tomb figures as displayed in the British Museum
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Camels made of brown and green glazed earthenware.
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Figures of buddhist guardians standing on bulls
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Ceramic figures of mandarins or civil servants
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An earth spirit made of green and brown glazed earthenware.
References
- ^ a b Chinese Tang tomb figures, British Museum, retrieved 14 December 2013
- ISBN 978-0521186483.
- ^ a b c figure, Collection Online, British Museum, accessed 14 December 2013
- ^ Chinese Tang tomb figures, A History of the World, BBC, retrieved 11 December 2013
- ^ Episode 55 - CHINESE TANG TOMB FIGURES, Transcript of BBC radio programme. retrieved 11 December 2013
- ^ ISBN 978-1846145117.
- Time Magazine. 1935-01-28. Archived from the originalon October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
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