Examples of Objects on Display

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  FIGURE OF A CURLY-HAIRED MAN

  Earthenware with yellow glaze and pigments

  Tang 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.
  
  

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  FIGURE OF A LADY-IN-WAITING

  Earthenware with pigments

  Tang dynasty, 8th century
  Height: 45.2cm
  Gift of Mr. UMINO Nobuyoshi
  

  This female yong figure is rather large in size. Since the peak period of Tang, there were several occasions that the number of yong figures and other funerary objects to be buried as well as the sizes of these objects were regulated according to the social status of the occupant of the tomb. The actual excavations indicate, however, that such rules were not necessarily kept properly. She poses in an elegant way: her head is held upward and hands are placed in front of her, left hand hidden in the sleeve and right hand shown. There are examples in a similar pose with a little bird perched on her hand. Traces of pigments are observed on her cheeks and shawl, partly displaying a flower pattern. Perhaps due to the poor condition of the pigments, her expression looks somewhat melancholic. The shoe with an upturned toe is showing from under the hem of the gracefully draped long skirt, which was in fashion among the ladies at that time.
  
  

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  FIGURE OF A HEAVENLY KING

  Earthenware with sancai (three-color) glaze

  Tang dynasty, 8th century
  Height: 89.2cm
  Gift of Mr. UMINO Nobuyoshi
  

  This armor-clad figure wears a Vermillion-Bird crown, his left hand rested on his waist and right hand held high grasping a spear, suggestive of the Four Heavenly Kings (particularly Virudhaka) or the Twelve Divine Generals of Buddhism. Such warrior yong figures, which began to appear in the latter half of the 7th century, were placed near the entrance to the chamber of the tomb along with figures of guardian animals. The dignified appearance, emphasized with a stern facial expression and gorgeous armor, deserves the roll as a guardian who protects the tomb from evil spirits and enemies. He stands on a rock pedestal, stamping on a bull. As a similar work with an almost identical size was excavated from the tomb of Chang Sizhong (703 AD) in Yanshi City, Henan Province, it is likely that this work was also produced in the Luoyang District.