Examples of Objects on Display

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  FIGURE OF A HU MAN

  Earthenware with pigments

  Excavated from the tomb of Mu Tai (730 AD) in Qingcheng County, Gansu Province
  Height: 54.0cm
  Qingcheng County Museum
  

  ”Hu people” in China refers to non-Han people in a broad sense. Tang dynasty China was enjoying cosmopolitan prosperity and people of foreign origin in the west, such as the Sogdians, mostly based in Central Asia, were highly involved in mercantile activities along the Silk Road, providing tremendous influence on Chinese culture. The exotic culture which they brought in was all the rage particularly in the capital city Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi Province) and its surrounding area. Ceramic funerary figures known as yong of these Hu people in various forms were often buried in tombs of the Tang dynasty. This piece was excavated in 2001 from the Tang dynasty tomb of a Tang general Mu Tai (buried 730 AD) in Qingcheng County, Gansu Province. The figure wears a hat with a tall protuberance on the back, a yellow Hu costume with a decorative border and a round neck and a pair of black long boots. He is making a fist in his right hand, the right-arm sleeve rolled up, perhaps reining in the horse or camel skillfully. His sunken eyes, prominent nose and bearded chin are typical features of Hu people. He winks his right eye and vigorously shows his teeth between his vermilion lips in a unique way, even odd looking, thus conveying a powerful impression. Such vividly modeled yong of Hu people were excavated in large number from the tomb of Mu Tai, all of which are leading superb works of the Tang dynasty.

• 

  FIGURE OF A HU MAN

  Earthenware with pigments

  Excavated from the tomb of Mu Tai (730 AD) in Qingcheng County, Gansu Province
  Height: 54.0cm
  Qingcheng County Museum
  

  The deeply sunken large eyes, upturned large and prominent nose, bushy beard in the shape of a shovel – this figure has an extremely striking feature, possibly being exaggerated to emphasize the characteristics of Hu people. The most eye-catching feature is his front body, exposing his chest and big potbelly. While there are some examples of Hu figures with a similar feature, the craftsmanship of this work is absolutely outstanding. Extra-fine body hair is elaborately drawn on the chest and belly in black ink, making the figure so lifelike, along with the realistic skin color. He looks as if he is making an actor’s “trademark pose”: his hands, hidden in the sleeves, held on the back of his hips, bulging eyes fixed at one point and clenched white teeth. His feature has some elements that suggest connection with the gigaku (a type of Japanese traditional dance drama) masks of the Asuka and Nara periods (592-784 AD), which can be found in the collections of Shosoin and Horyuji Temple.
  
  

• 

  FIGURE OF A HU MAN

  Earthenware with pigments

  Excavated from the tomb of Mu Tai (730 AD) in Qingcheng County, Gansu Province
  Height: 50.0cm
  Qingcheng County Museum

  The figure has a dark brown skin, a clear-cut face with bulging eyes, large mouth, prominent nose and long earlobes. The lips are painted in vermillion, the lower lip slightly thicker, below which are round protuberances with thin lines drawn in black ink, possibly representing his beard. He has a straight-back hair which is braided at the back and wears a turban, suggesting he is a Hu man of Indian origin. He wears a round-necked, white Hu costume and a pair of trousers with leopard’s spots, fastening a black belt. He stands with a gesture so impressive: both hands held high making fists, face looking toward the upper-right direction and hips bent to the left. From such an elegant pose, it was initially thought that he was dancing, although it is more likely that the figure dramatically represents a split-second moment of reining in a horse or camel. It is the one and only masterpiece of yong figure of a Hu man made in the Tang dynasty.