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Lot Essay
TANG SANCAI TOMB FIGURES
Large, imposing guardian figures like the present pair would have been made to stand guard in the tomb of Tang dynasty elite. Those with vibrant sancai ('three color') glazes, like the current examples, flourished from the late 7th to mid-8th century. One of the earliest tombs to contain sancai pieces was that of Li Feng, Prince of Guo (622-675), fifteenth son of Emperor Gaozu, founder of the Tang dynasty. By the first decade of the 8th century large sancai figures were included in the tombs of royalty and nobility both at the capital Chang’an (modern day Xi’an) and at Luoyang, which served as the Eastern Capital in the Tang period. The inclusion of large sancai figures declined significantly following the An Lushan rebellion of 755-63, which had a devastating effect on the empire, seriously weakened the dynasty, and led to the loss of the Western Regions.
The tomb of Crown Prince Zhang Huai (653-684), sixth son of Emperor Gaozong, was excavated in 1971 and among the large sancai figures contained therein was a pair of guardian warriors in similar pose to the current figures (illustrated in National Treasure – Collection of Rare Cultural Relics of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an, 1998, pp. 230-1). The grandeur of his tomb and the other royal tombs of the Qianling Mausoleum on Mount Liang, north-west of Xi’an, with their fine murals and impressive sancai figures, reflects the Imperial determination to reinforce the noble status of the family. The contents of these tombs also demonstrate the importance of sancai figures in the burial practices of the Tang royal house and aristocracy of the period.
LOKAPALAS OR GUARDIANS
Guardian warriors are often called ‘lokapalas’, guardian figures who appear at Indian Buddhist sites such as Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh as early as the 1st century BC (see R.E. Fisher, ‘Noble Guardians: The Emergence of the Lokapalas in Buddhist Art’, Oriental Art, vol. 41, no. 2 (Summer), pp. 17-24). The group of four figures, or Heavenly Kings, who guard the four directions, became established in the 5th or 6th century. While four guardians appear on the walls of Cave 285 at Dunhuang (dated to AD 538), Chinese guardian warriors usually appear in pairs, both at Buddhist sites and in tombs. It has been suggested by some scholars that the Chinese guardian warriors are based not on lokapalas, but on dvarapalas or entryway guardians, although these latter figures are not normally depicted in armour (see J.C.Y. Watt (ed.), China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, op. cit., p. 330). Both the dvarapalas and the Chinese guardian warriors are, however, characterised by the fierce expressions and threatening poses. This is in keeping with the protective role of the guardians, who, in the case of the Chinese tomb figures, stood at the entrance to the tomb chamber and repelled evil spirits.
Guardian figures clad in armour and trampling demons appear at the Longmen caves in Henan, where such figures can be seen on the wall of the Fengxiansi, dated to the 670s. A well-preserved painted wooden guardian figure in armour trampling a demon was excavated in 1973 at Astana near Turfan, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, from the joint tomb of Zhang Xiong (AD 584-633) and his wife née Qu (AD 607-688). It is likely that the guardian figure dates from the time of the wife’s burial in 688, when the tomb was enlarged (illustrated and discussed in J.C.Y. Watt (ed.), China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, New York, 2004, p. 228, no. 180).
The royal tomb sancai guardian warrior figures were armoured and helmeted in a similar fashion to the current figures. Figures such as these are often attired in a version of the zhanpao or battledress of imperial guards. On the upper body they wear a cuirass (breastplate and backplate fastened together), while the shoulders are protected by a type of paultron and the forearms by a type of vambrace, with greaves to protect the shins. These were worn with a knee-length coat. Armour similar to this is shown on imperial guards depicted in the murals on the walls of Princess Yongtai’s tomb (illustrated in Wenwu, 1964, no. 1, pl. VIf). As is frequently the case with guardian warriors of this type, the current figures stand with one hand resting on their hips and their other arms raised with hand curled around to hold a weapon such as a halberd, pike or spear. The weapons themselves have not survived, probably because their shafts were made of wood.
The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. PH 993/404 is consistent with the dating of this lot.
Large, imposing guardian figures like the present pair would have been made to stand guard in the tomb of Tang dynasty elite. Those with vibrant sancai ('three color') glazes, like the current examples, flourished from the late 7th to mid-8th century. One of the earliest tombs to contain sancai pieces was that of Li Feng, Prince of Guo (622-675), fifteenth son of Emperor Gaozu, founder of the Tang dynasty. By the first decade of the 8th century large sancai figures were included in the tombs of royalty and nobility both at the capital Chang’an (modern day Xi’an) and at Luoyang, which served as the Eastern Capital in the Tang period. The inclusion of large sancai figures declined significantly following the An Lushan rebellion of 755-63, which had a devastating effect on the empire, seriously weakened the dynasty, and led to the loss of the Western Regions.
The tomb of Crown Prince Zhang Huai (653-684), sixth son of Emperor Gaozong, was excavated in 1971 and among the large sancai figures contained therein was a pair of guardian warriors in similar pose to the current figures (illustrated in National Treasure – Collection of Rare Cultural Relics of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an, 1998, pp. 230-1). The grandeur of his tomb and the other royal tombs of the Qianling Mausoleum on Mount Liang, north-west of Xi’an, with their fine murals and impressive sancai figures, reflects the Imperial determination to reinforce the noble status of the family. The contents of these tombs also demonstrate the importance of sancai figures in the burial practices of the Tang royal house and aristocracy of the period.
LOKAPALAS OR GUARDIANS
Guardian warriors are often called ‘lokapalas’, guardian figures who appear at Indian Buddhist sites such as Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh as early as the 1st century BC (see R.E. Fisher, ‘Noble Guardians: The Emergence of the Lokapalas in Buddhist Art’, Oriental Art, vol. 41, no. 2 (Summer), pp. 17-24). The group of four figures, or Heavenly Kings, who guard the four directions, became established in the 5th or 6th century. While four guardians appear on the walls of Cave 285 at Dunhuang (dated to AD 538), Chinese guardian warriors usually appear in pairs, both at Buddhist sites and in tombs. It has been suggested by some scholars that the Chinese guardian warriors are based not on lokapalas, but on dvarapalas or entryway guardians, although these latter figures are not normally depicted in armour (see J.C.Y. Watt (ed.), China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, op. cit., p. 330). Both the dvarapalas and the Chinese guardian warriors are, however, characterised by the fierce expressions and threatening poses. This is in keeping with the protective role of the guardians, who, in the case of the Chinese tomb figures, stood at the entrance to the tomb chamber and repelled evil spirits.
Guardian figures clad in armour and trampling demons appear at the Longmen caves in Henan, where such figures can be seen on the wall of the Fengxiansi, dated to the 670s. A well-preserved painted wooden guardian figure in armour trampling a demon was excavated in 1973 at Astana near Turfan, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, from the joint tomb of Zhang Xiong (AD 584-633) and his wife née Qu (AD 607-688). It is likely that the guardian figure dates from the time of the wife’s burial in 688, when the tomb was enlarged (illustrated and discussed in J.C.Y. Watt (ed.), China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, New York, 2004, p. 228, no. 180).
The royal tomb sancai guardian warrior figures were armoured and helmeted in a similar fashion to the current figures. Figures such as these are often attired in a version of the zhanpao or battledress of imperial guards. On the upper body they wear a cuirass (breastplate and backplate fastened together), while the shoulders are protected by a type of paultron and the forearms by a type of vambrace, with greaves to protect the shins. These were worn with a knee-length coat. Armour similar to this is shown on imperial guards depicted in the murals on the walls of Princess Yongtai’s tomb (illustrated in Wenwu, 1964, no. 1, pl. VIf). As is frequently the case with guardian warriors of this type, the current figures stand with one hand resting on their hips and their other arms raised with hand curled around to hold a weapon such as a halberd, pike or spear. The weapons themselves have not survived, probably because their shafts were made of wood.
The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. PH 993/404 is consistent with the dating of this lot.