FIGURE OF A CURLY-HAIRED MAN
Earthenware with yellow glaze and pigmentsTang dynasty, 7th century
Height: 29.0cm
Gift of Mr. UMINO Nobuyoshi
This figure with curly hair, thick eyebrows and relatively large head is thought to be of Southeast Asian origin. The Tang capital Chang’an was the hub of international activities, which linked various people and goods of the east and west. Yong figures produced at that time include those representing so-called Hu people of the west, such as the Sogdians and Arabians, as well as the dark-skinned African and Southeast Asian people. This man wears a pair of knee trousers with red and white stripes and a sash over his left shoulder, hanging down diagonally toward the lower right of the body. He is in bare feet and has thick legs. Such features suggest that he could be a slave sold from a foreign country and served an aristocratic family in their residence. As he holds his right arm high, it is thought that he is in the middle of a sort of acrobatic performance, though it is not clear whether that is true. A similar example was excavated from the tomb of Zheng Rentai (664 AD) in Liquan County, Shaanxi Province. The exoticism and vibrancy radiating from the work clearly reflect the cosmopolitan nature of Tang China.