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All auctions / Ancient Art / Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty Terracotta Mingqi funerary Bactrian camel - 13 cm
China – Mingqi funerary Bactrian camel – Tang Dynasty, ca. 7th–8th centuries AD. Interesting Chinese funerary figure made of reddish terracotta molded, representing a two-hump Bactrian camel standing on an integral rectangular base. The animal appears modeled in a markedly stylized way, with a voluminous body, two well-defined humps, a raised neck and a simplified head projected forward. The four legs are integrated into an open-base structure, creating wide spaces beneath the body and providing stability to the whole. The piece features a hollow construction, perfectly visible from the bottom, a common procedure in many terracotta funeral sculptures of ancient China. The surface preserves an attractive natural reddish tone of the clay, with earthy deposits, concretions, wear and surface alterations compatible with great age. This type of figure was part of the funerary equipment known as mingqi (明器). Bactrian camels had particular symbolic importance during the Tang Dynasty, when the great overland routes connected China with Central Asia, Persia and the Western world. In the elite tombs they represented transport, wealth and the cosmopolitan character of Tang society. Material: reddish terracotta. Dimensions: 13 × 13 × 6.5 cm. Proposed period: Tang Dynasty, 618–907 AD, probably 7th–8th centuries. Alternative possible chronology: late Northern Wei/Sui–early Tang. Condition: wear and surface deposits typical of antiquity, cracks visible especially at the base, small losses and abrasions; overall structure well preserved. Hollow interior. Catawiki disclaimer: This object has been dated based on style by the seller. No further tests, such as a TL test, C14 test, lapidary tests, analysis of pigments or radiography scans have been conducted to check the integrity of the piece.
Estimate:£848.24
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Estimate:
£848.24
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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